Find The Truth
by AisuHime
Summary: “I’m so sorry, Ichigo. In the end, he always wins.” Aizen has a new plan for breaking Orihime, based on lies. Can she break the hypnosis, and find the truth? A rewrite of Orihime’s stay in Hueco Mundo. Please read and review. Ulquihime in later chapters.
1. Prologue

A/N- Hey Guys! First fanfic, so please leave a review telling me how I can improve. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story. Thanks! _Italics_ mean Orihime's thoughts.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

**Prologue**

**Set in Motion, a Plan is Formed**

Aizen, the former 5th squad captain, was smiling as his Espada all sat down at the meeting table. He looked at each one of them, meeting all of their eyes, except for Stark, who was asleep.

"Thank you all for coming to my urgent meeting. Our topic is our captive, Orihime. As you are all probably aware of, her powers have been expanding as of late. Her spiritual pressure has been rising greatly."

He took a sip of tea, a glint arising in his eyes. Anyone who _really _knew him could tell he had an evil plan stirring in the depths of his twisted mind.

"This new power could help or hurt us. Previous mental traps have been used, but for this power to truly help us, further traps need to be set. The best lead we have is her strong emotions, and I believe they will be the key to manipulating her."

He paused dramatically, and when he had everyone's attention, he announced," I'm going to take her as my wife."

They were all fairly shocked at the news. Some of them, however, handled it better than others.

"What the fuck?" Grimmjow shouted. Ulquiorra shook his head softly. Some people never change.

Stark stirred and looked up, awoken by Grimmjow's outburst. He noticed everyone (except Ulquiorra) wore shocked expressions, and wondered what he had missed that had been so surprising.

"Psst, Halibel, what just happened? Why is everyone acting so strange?" He asked her.

She regarded him coldly. "You fool, you should have been listening. In any case, Lord Aizen intends to marry the captive the girl."

He felt a little surprised. "Isn't he a little… old for her?"

"We shouldn't question Lord Aizen's will. He will lead us to victory over our enemies," Halibel hissed at him, glaring. He just raised his eyebrow in response. This girl took things way to seriously.

"For the success of this plan, Stark and Halibel will be in a romantic relationship," Aizen said casually, taking a sip of tea.

Halibel gasped," Lord Aizen, you can't be serious."

Stark smirked and told her sarcastically," We shouldn't question Lord Aizen's will. He will lead us to victory over our enemies." He saw her fingers twitch, no doubt itching to close around his throat.

Aizen didn't seem too upset. "Well," he explained," The main plan is to get the girl to create a life here, and to fall in love with me, making her more compliant to use her new powers for our gain. For that to happen, we have to create a believable environment similar to the one she had in the real world. Halibel, as the only current female Espada, you will become a close friend to her. In order to make this realistic, her 'friend' should have romantic interests as well."

"As you wish, Lord Aizen," she said in a strangled voice.

He smiled. "In my plan," he continued," _everyone_ will play a part. While some will be working behind the scenes, all will have a role to play in the plan. Stark and Halibel, you already know your roles. Ichimaru, given your personality and background, you be a fear to be conquered. You will also be sharing the 'truth' about Soul Society, because of your past in Rukongai. Tousen, you will be the minister at the wedding."

He paused, with the air of someone about to drop a bombshell. "Ulquiorra and Grimmjow, you will also befriend the human girl."

"No fucking way. I can't pretend to be friends with that emo clown. No fucking way." It doesn't take a genius to figure out who said that. The Esapda could practically see steam rising out of Grimmjow's ears.

Ichimaru smiled his trademark grin, and commented lightly." Wow Grimmjow, you're challenging Lord Aizen? That will be a fun fight to watch. For the 15 seconds it lasts, anyway."

Grimmjow growled in response, but took the hint and shut up. Aizen continued as if nothing had happened. "Of all the Espada, you two are the only ones who she's really interacted with. It would make sense that you would befriend her. You'll have to act, though. She needs to be thoroughly convinced that you want to be her friend."

He looked right at Grimmjow. "That means not strangling her just because she does something annoying."

Grimmjow was smart enough to remain silent. Instead of words, he settled for glaring at Ulquiorra, as if this was his idea. The idea of befriending the human girl sucked, but he could deal with it. The idea of pretending to be friends with that cold bastard was repulsive. But as Gin had so frankly pointed out, refusal would lead to a fight he couldn't win.

Aizen shifted his attention to the other Espada. "Nnoitra, given your personality, you will also be presented as fear to be conquered. You will be used to help awaken the power she is acquiring. You will need to put constant pressure on her until we see the form this new power will take. In addition, you will be used to strengthen her friendship with Halibel, Grimmjow, and Ulquiorra."

"So I get to play the big bad wolf for our little pet?" Nnoitra asked, a lecherous grin spreading over his face. When Aizen nodded, Nnoitra let out an evil laugh."I like this plan," he said.

"Good to know," Aizen said," As for Barragan, Aaroniero, Yammy, Szayel, and Zommari, I'll inform you of your roles later. Until then, minimize contact with the girl. You are all dismissed."

All the Espada left the room, leaving Gin, Aizen, and Tousen.

"You really think this will work? That she'll ditch her friends for the people who are holding her captive?" Gin asked curiously. It seemed rather unlikely, seeing as how close they were.

"Of course," Aizen said confidently," She is a good and kind soul, therefore she is predictable. She's also very trusting, so she'll believe whatever lies we tell her if we say it the right way."

Ichimaru smiled. Things were definitely about to get interesting.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N- Sorry about the supper short chapter, next will be longer, promise. This one just set the stage for future events. Please review! Constructive criticism is love! I update every week, so count on the next installment next Friday.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N- Hey Guys! First real chapter!! Please leave a review telling me how I can improve. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

**Chapter 1**

**News and the Silver Shadow**

It was a dark, miserable day in Hueco Mundo, but then again, when wasn't it? Pale moonlight shone through metal bars, into the small room where Orihime was being held captive.

She stared sadly at the unmoving, unchanging moon. She felt the cold weight of her captivity on her soul, and thought about her friends. They had invaded Soul Society to save Rukia, and she had no doubt they would come for her. But this place was different of Soul Society. They didn't stand a chance against the powerful forces stirring in this place. The idea of Ichigo fighting Aizen, in all his terrible power, made her quake in fear. Ichigo loved to be the hero, but he also couldn't tell when he was outmatched. If any of her friends got hurt because of her, she would _never _forgive herself.

A soft knock came at the door, and she didn't move at all. She waited for Ulquiorra to come in and tell her to eat her food, or else he'd force it down her throat, or give it to her via an IV. She waited, but when the door opened, it was not Ulquiorra's voice that spoke.

"My, you seem so gloomy. A princess really should smile more often."

Orihime whipped around in horror, coming face to face with Aizen. She gasped softly, and took frightened steps back. He was smiling, which made her more afraid. His gentle, almost mocking words still hung in the air, tainting it, until Orihime felt she couldn't breathe. Gin Ichimaru wasn't far behind him, she realized. _Great. As is Aizen wasn't enough. Why did he have to come too?_

Aizen said casually," I needed to talk to you. I considered having you be brought to me, but then I thought that was too impersonal. So I decided to come visit you to tell you the great news."

He flash stepped behind her, and before her brain could follow him he leaned over and whispered in her ear," I am going to make you my wife. No longer shall you be a princess, but a queen. And what a fine queen you'll make."

She gasped and stumbled back, which unintentionally brought her closer to Aizen. She twisted and stared disbelievingly at her captors.

Aizen was smiling.

Ichimaru was smiling.

She was hyperventilated.

Orihime had no idea how to deal with this, so she did what she did best. She completely rejected it. She folded it up and tucked it into a deep corner of her mind, where she wouldn't have to think about it until she was alone, where it was ok to break down and sob. Around these demons, she had to be strong.

Desperate to keep her mind off the events that had just taken place, she turned to Aizen and asked," Why is he here?" She pointed in Ichimaru's general direction. He stuck his lower lip out in a hurt puppy face.

"Cruel words, and here I thought we were pals."

She shuddered internally. She found herself missing Ulquiorra's cold silence toward her. She would take that any day over Ichimaru's creepy smile and sarcastic words. She kept looking at Aizen, waiting for his answer.

"Ulquiorra's going on a long mission all day, so Gin kindly offered to cover for him."

"Wasn't there anybody else who could do it? Anybody at all?" She was pleading at this point.

Aizen's smile was patronizing. "I think Nnoitra was available. I can ask him if you'd like."

She stiffened against him, cringing. He chuckled," I'll take that as a 'no thank you'. I'm afraid I must be going. This kingdom won't rule itself."

He started walking out, but stopped when he came to Ichimaru in the doorway. He said, just barely loud enough for her to hear," Behave yourself, Gin. **She's mine**."

And with that, he left them alone with each other.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

"So what's your favorite color?"

For the past half hour, Gin Ichimaru had been sprawled on the couch in her room, asking her all kinds of weird and random questions, to which she responded with sad silence. That didn't seem to dampen his spirit, because he just kept asking her questions, then going on, as if she had answered.

But that seemed to bore him, because he eventually started answering for her.

"So how do you feel about marrying Aizen?" He asked.

"Not so good," He replied in a high-pitched imitation of her voice," Now I'll never get to be with you, Gin. After all the time I spent thinking about you, and all the dreams I had about you on this very couch."

She gasped in embarrassment, and felt burning heat rise up to her cheeks. Gin seemed very pleased with her reaction, and his grin widened.

"You don't have to be here, you know. Ulquiorra would only check on me and bring me meals. That's totally fine with me," She said softly, hoping he would take the hint and leave her alone.

He obviously had other plans. Turning so she could see his evil smile, he replied," It's not safe for pretty young girls to be left alone, don'tcha know. Lots of bad people are roaming these halls."

She felt a fresh wave of fear for the man on her couch. He had a teasing side, but he also had a cruel, heartless side. She couldn't underestimate him. Aizen wouldn't let him harm her, but she certainly didn't want to test that with Ichimaru. He struck her as someone who knew how to find loopholes and bend rules.

She inched away from him, towards the opposite corner of the room. She curled up into a ball in the corner, face turned away from him, and squeezed her eyes closed. She had hoped the new distance between them would comfort her, but instead it just made her feel cornered. _He's on the other side of the room. He's on the other side of the room. _No matter how many times she repeated this thought, it brought her no comfort. It really wouldn't take him long to get to her side if he wanted to.

"Hey," he called from the couch," Whatcha doing over there? Are ya scared of me? If you are, you're not being very smart. You should never turn your back on someone your scared of."

He flash stepped to her corner, and knelt down, trapping her. She could feel his hot breath on her neck as her whispered," 'Cause then you won't see them coming."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N- Gin is really fun to write! I kind of exaggerated him though. This chapter was a lot shorter than I had hoped, but next chapter will have more action. FYI- this isn't Aizen+Orihime, for the most part, but they do have some moments. Please review! Constructive criticism is love!


	3. Chapter 2

A/N- Hey Guys! Second chapter WOOT!! Please leave a review telling me how I can improve. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

**Chapter 2**

**A Roadblock Arises**

"_Hey," he called from the couch," Whatcha doing over there? Are ya scared of me? If you are, your not being very smart. You should never turn your back on someone your scared of." _

_He flash stepped to her corner, and knelt down, trapping her. She could feel his hot breath on her neck as her whispered," 'Cause then you won't see them coming."_

She waited for something to happen. She waited for him to go all psycho and stab her, or something along those lines. But instead he chuckled and stood up.

"Just kidding, of course. You take everything too seriously."

She risked a quick glance a moment later, and once again found him sprawled lazily on the couch. She felt a strong current of relief, until a knock on her door a mere moment later brought the panic back.

Aizen came in, looking from Gin to her. He looked at Gin again, questioning and slightly amused, and asked," Why is she shaking in the corner?"

Orihime glanced down, and sure enough, she was quaking and shivering. It was putting a serious dent in her "look strong" plan. She might as well have been crying.

Ichimaru shrugged and drawled," I think she's scared of me." Aizen looked at her for her to confirm or deny his answer. He had made his answer completely honest, just conveniently leaving out details of his little "joke". But his answer was truthful, so what could she do but nod her head?

Aizen smiled and said," I just came to check on her." He knelt next to her. "There's no need to be afraid of him. He won't do anything to you."

_Of course you would think that. You weren't here._

"That's right," Ichimaru agreed," You and I may have had our problems in the past, but that's water under the bridge. Now," he stood up and spread out his arms," Let's hug it out."

Orihime gasped, and look at Aizen pleadingly. He looked expectantly back at her. She felt disgusted. _He probably thinks this is amusing. _But she couldn't refuse, not with Aizen waiting for her. She stood up slowly, and started shuffling towards Gin's outstretched arms. Her legs were shaking, and she stared at her feet, not wanting to make eye contact with either of the men in her room.

She reached Gin, and slowly wrapped her arms around his waist, intent on making this as quick as possible. The second she touched him, however, he lifted her a foot of the ground and swung her back and forth. She felt dizzy, scared, and embarrassed. It didn't help that when he put her down, she was so dizzy, she ended up falling backwards. So then he caught her. She would have rather fallen to the ground.

"She not very good at hugging," Ichimaru said lightly to Aizen," You should have her practice before you guys get married."

There was that word. _Married_. She felt the memory she had hid away blast to the surface, ready to get out. She squeezed her eyes closed to try to repress it once more, but it would go away. It kept bubbling and expanding, filling every inch of her mind with it, until it exploded out of her.

"_**I don't want to marry you!**__"_ she shrieked.

Stunned silence ensued. She opened her eyes in horror of her outburst. Aizen's smile was widening, and Ichimaru let out a soft chuckle. Aizen took two steps toward her. She wanted to take two steps away from him, but Ichimaru was still holding her, making it impossible for her to move.

Aizen stopped right in front of her. He lifted her chin so she was looking right into his hypnotic eyes. She felt so powerless, and she hated herself. She wasn't even strong enough to protect herself, much less anyone she cared about. But the longer she stared into his eyes, the less that mattered. She felt numb, and her thoughts slowed as she fought against the weariness that had begun to envelop her.

"You are so cute," Aizen said softly," when you think you have a choice."

He turned around and walked towards the door. "I'll be back in a half hour to check on her. You two have fun."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

"Your room is really boring," Gin pointed out," You should get one of those huge HD plasma screen TVs from the real world."

Fifteen minutes after Aizen had left, Ichimaru had resumed his tactic of talking nonstop about things she didn't care about. At least he wasn't filling in her side of the conversation anymore. That was an experience she didn't want to repeat. Still, she could deal with the annoying chatter, as long as he didn't corner her again. An echo of that horrible trapped feeling flowed through her, and she once more cursed her own weakness.

"Hey, Orihime, guess what Ulquiorra's mission was today. I'll give you a hint; it has to do with you."

She looked up, surprised. What mission could Ulquiorra go on that had to do with her? Unless… Did it have something to do with her friends? She felt worried. She had no idea how powerful Ulquiorra was, but to be the fourth Espada, he must be very strong. She hated the thought of her friends going against him.

"What was it?" she asked quietly. She looked up in surprise when she heard laughter.

"Silly girl, you have to guess," Ichimaru chuckled.

She let out an exasperated sigh. She was worried sick about her friends' safety, and he was playing childish games with her.

"Can't you just tell me? After all _I thought we were friends_."

That last part had been dripping with sarcasm. She didn't like that he called them pals, but she wanted to see if she could get anything out of it. The chances weren't very good, but it was worth a shot.

"I thought you didn't want to be my friend. You cowered in a corner just to get away from me. That hurt my feelings."

She felt rage flash red hot through her, despising Ichimaru and his mind games. Why couldn't he treat her like a person, instead of some toy used to amuse his twisted sense of humor? Angry words burst out of her, fueled by her fury.

"Just tell me! Does his mission have to do with my friends? Tell me!"

She was on fire now, feeling her powers rising in her chest. Somewhere in her mind, she knew she didn't stand a chance against Ichimaru, but she didn't care. He had known exactly how to unravel her, make her angry and irrational. This was only made worse by the fact that he was completely calm, his normal grin only widening as her nerves frayed.

"Your friends," he said slowly, casually," Do you mean Carrot Top and his band of Merry Losers?"

She, on reflex, swung her hand to try to slap him. It was a perfectly reasonable reaction, but she had of course forgotten that the man she was trying to slap was a former Gotei 13 captain.

He caught her wrist with ease. He was still on lying on the couch, completely relaxed. She tried to wrench her wrist out his hand, but his grip was too strong. Loose enough that it didn't hurt, but tight enough that she couldn't get out.

"You sure are violent today. I better keep a good grip on ya, or ya might hurt yourself," he grinned menacingly.

"Let… me… go!" She screamed. She felt a tingling sensation all over her skin, like static electricity.

Suddenly a familiar orange glow filled her vision, the color of her powers. But this felt different than her other abilities. It felt much more powerful, and almost… painful. The pain was growing with the power. Orange glow surrounded her, filling her, breaking her. She began thrashing with more fervor.

Only then did she realize Ichimaru had let go of her. The orange column that wrapped around her kept him out, like her Santen Kesshun, but much more powerful. She felt untouchable, invincible. The feeling was diluted by the unspeakable pain that ricocheted through her. Yet she felt a vague sense of satisfaction. Ichimaru had stopped smiling. He was looking at her with a confused and curious expression.

Her power was swirling around her now, like a tornado. The pain was intensified greatly, and she couldn't keep herself from crying out. She could hear the voices of her fairies, trying to calm her, but the pain blocked it out. It was as if every cell of her body was being torn apart, then rebuilt. _I want to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. _A flash of pain ripped through her, and an orange flash consumed her.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N- The poll results are in. This fic will be... UlquiHime! Next chapter will be longer. Please review! Reviewers make my life better.


	4. Chapter 3

A/N- Hey Guys! Third chapter YAY!! Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story. Thanks a million to all my readers!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

**Chapter 3**

**New Powers and a New "Friend"**

_Her power was swirling around her now, like a tornado. The pain was intensified greatly, and she couldn't keep herself from crying out. It was as if every cell of her body was being torn apart, then rebuilt. **I want to be somewhere else. Anywhere else**. A flash of pain ripped through her, and an orange flash consumed her. _

The first thing she noticed after the orange faded away from her vision was that there was a huge needle inches from her face. She let out a shrill shriek as she scrambled backwards across the floor she was laying on to get away from the needle. When her brain started to work again, she surveyed her surroundings. As far as she could see, it was a large, white room filled with weird electronics and bubbling chemicals in test tubes. It was hard to tell, as her vision was still blurry. Her eyes settled on something pink. What was something pink doing in a place like Las Noches?

"May I inquire as to why you are in my lab? And why didn't I see you come in?" A pissed-off voice asked.

It took Orihime a few seconds to realize the pink thing was actually someone's hair, and it belonged to an arrancar. Namely, Szayel Aporro Granz, Hueco Mundo's resident scientist. She raised her head to meet his gaze, feeling terror grip her chest. He looked more annoyed than angry, but she still felt afraid. She didn't know a lot about the man in front of her. She only knew his name, and that he was an Espada.

She opened her mouth to speak, but found that no words could come out. The best she could muster was a strangled yelp of fear. He looked at her analytically for a few moments, before reaching out his hand to help her up. She gratefully accepted his help, relieved that he didn't seem to want to harm her.

"I'm sorry," she said finally," I don't know how I got here."

Silence stretched out before he said," Very well. Let's get you back to your room." She nodded gratefully and followed him out into the hall.

The walk back to her room was awkward. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to stay silent, or if silence would be considered rude. In her defense, Szayel wasn't giving her any hints as to how to act. It was weird, actually, because he was staring at her, with a weird expression on his face. It was a strange mix of wistful, curious, and annoyed. For the most part, she kept her eyes on her feet, avoiding eye contact.

Her head jerked up, however, when she felt him grab her arm so tightly it was almost painful. She looked at him, frightened. His gaze wasn't directed at her. She followed his eyes and found herself looking at none other than Nnoitra, the 5th Espada. She suddenly felt grateful for Szayel's protection.

Nnoitra smiled lecherously at her, overjoyed by this coincidental meeting. A silent understanding passed between Szayel and Nnoitra, unbeknownst to Orihime.

"How lucky of me," Nnoitra drawled," I've been wanting to spend some time with Lord Aizen's infamous pet."

She sank back against Szayel, appreciating every inch that stood between her and the 5th Espada.

He turned to Szayel, and said," I can take Pet back to her room. You can go back to your evil lab, and do cruel experiments on whatever poor creature you've caught recently."

Orihime stiffened, suddenly uncomfortable with her current proximity to Szayel. Understanding her obvious discomfort, he released her arm and stepped back.

She remembered the way Szayel had looked at her, a mix of wistful, curious, and annoyed. You could practically hear the pieces of the puzzle falling together.

She looked at Szayel with a horrified expression, waiting desperately for him to deny what Nnoitra said. He didn't. He just turned and walked away.

She turned back to the problem at hand. Orihime wasn't really sure what happened next. One second she had staring at Nnoitra from 3 yards away, the next she was pinned against a wall staring at Nnoitra from 3 inches away.

_How did he move so fast? He can't flash step, because only Soul Reapers can do that, but that's exactly what it felt like. He just disappeared and reappeared in a second._

She was forcefully shaken from her thoughts by a sudden pain. Her brain slowly realized that Nnoitra had his long fingers wrapped around her neck. It was so painful, that she let out a pathetic yelp as his grip slowly tightened to the point where she could barely breathe.

"You looked pretty lost in your thoughts for a moment," he leered," I don't like to be ignored."

His face was inches from hers, and she could see the evil intent in his eyes. This was the real deal. If he wanted it to happen, it would. She was nowhere near strong enough to defend herself.

"Please… don't," Orihime whispered weakly.

Nnoitra smirked, and cupped a hand to his ear. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"Please, Nnoitra, don't do this." Her voice raised a fraction of a decibel.

"Lord Aizen says you're some kind of god," he sneered," Why don't you defend yourself?"

She tried to summon the powers that had teleported her before. Nothing came. _Why not? I'm just as desperate now as I was before. Maybe even more. _Regardless, the fact of the matter was that her new power just wasn't coming. She wondered, for the millionth time, why Aizen wanted someone as weak as her.

Inspiration came in a white hot flash, and she rushed to convert her thoughts to words.

"Lord Aizen will be angry with you if you hurt me."

The words didn't sound as strong as they did in her head. At least they got her point across.

"How's he gonna know about this? Were you planning on tattling?" He tightened his grip on her throat. "That's not very smart."

She had run out of arguments. She had no fight left in her. Against her will, a name she had until now suppressed slipped past her lips. "Help me… Ichigo."

A harsh laugh sounded throughout the hallway.

"Are you really that weak? You're so pathetic, always having to be rescued by that substitute Soul Reaper. Looks like we did him a favor, removing a burden from his shoulders."

Her mouth hung open slightly as Nnoitra's too true words echoed through her, repeatedly stabbing her in the heart.

"You should learn your place, _woman_," he said degradingly. "A woman's place is always under a man."

Orihime shuddered at the double meaning of his words.

"Is that so, 5th Espada?" a feminine voice asked.

Both Nnoitra and Orihime whipped their heads to see who the voice belonged to. Nnoitra, however, already knew.

"Halibel," he growled, disdain prominent in his voice.

Orihime was shocked. She had never heard Ulquiorra speak of a female Espada. To say she was beautiful was an understatement, which made her wonder why someone like Nnoitra wouldn't like her. _Although, he did say, in his own disgusting way, that guys should be better than girls. That means… she must be a higher rank than him! That would explain why he sounded so hateful._

"It would be wise to leave Orihime alone," Halibel said smoothly," Otherwise, you would have to answer to me."

His one eye glared icily at the female Espada, but he didn't have a choice. His role was to strengthen Halibel's friendship with Orihime, after all. He only wished she hadn't come so soon. There wasn't much fun stuff to do around Las Noches.

He released Orihime, who sucked in deep breaths to make up for her previous lack of oxygen. He grinned, loving just how pathetically scared she looked. He drank in her fear greedily, enjoying the artificial high that came with making someone look like that.

He sent one last glare Halibel's way, and trudged off to his domain. She waited until he disappeared from sight before turning her attention to Orihime.

"Are you alright? Did he harm you?" she asked, making a conscious effort to make her usually cold voice sound warm and caring.

"No, you came just in time." Orihime smiled, happy that someone cared for her.

Halibel smiled in return, although it was only visible in her expressive eyes. This girl was so easy to fool, it was almost sad.

"Let's get you back to your room. Everyone's been worried about you."

Orihime stepped away from the wall she had been leaning against, ready to walk back, when her knees buckled and she headed for the floor. She closed her eyes and braced for impact. It never came. When she opened her eyes, she saw Halibel supporting her, keeping her from hitting the floor.

"Thanks, again," Orihime said sheepishly. Halibel merely smiled.

"It's no trouble," she said walking down the hall while supporting most of Orihime's weight with ease. "It's actually kind of nice," she continued," There aren't many female arrancar. Most of them are the jealous, petty type. It's nice to spend time with someone who has a kind heart."

Orihime blushed at the compliment. A sudden thought popped in her head.

"What was that fast technique you used? It looked like flash step."

"It's called Sonido. It's the Arrancar equivalent of flash step," Halibel answered.

Her eyes widened as she remembered the burning question that got her here in the first place.

"Halibel, do you know what Ulquiorra's mission today was?" she asked, remembering the whole reason she was here.

"Of course. I was with him."

"Really?" she gasped," What was the mission?"

"To retrieve items necessary for the wedding from the real world."

_Thank goodness. _"What items?" she asked, curious now that her fears were gone.

"Ulquiorra retrieved official documents from a court, and I selected a few wedding dresses for you to choose from," Halibel answered as they walked.

"Oh. How'd you pay for them?" Orihime asked, wondering where they would get human money.

"I didn't," was Halibel's guiltless reply.

Awkward silence ensued.

"Oh," Orihime finally replied.

They talked as they walked. Halibel talked about her "boyfriend" Stark and about life in general in Las Noches. Orihime talked about things she enjoyed doing and foods she liked eating. Orihime basked in the feeling of having a friend to talk to, even if it was just about food. She also shared deeper stuff, like how her brother had raised her, died, and become a hollow. Halibel was a great listener, and Orihime was very grateful. It had been a while since anyone had been so friendly to her.

They arrived at her room, and Halibel opened the door, whilst simultaneously supporting Orihime. Ichimaru smiled from his lazy position on the couch.

"You're back! I was getting lonely."

Orihime sighed.

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Halibel kneeled in Aizen's throne room, having left Orihime in her room.

"How did it go?" Aizen inquired casually.

"It was a complete success Lord Aizen," she replied," The girl has already begun forming a bond with me."

"Perfect," Aizen smiled.

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A/N- That's right, I played the ever cliché Nnoitra card. Longest chapter so far!! Thanks to everyone who's read to this point. Extra thanks to readers who reviewed. It means so much to me!! heart. Please review!


	5. Chapter 4

A/N- Hey readers! Forth chapter is up!! Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story. Hints of GinRan in this chapter, sorry if you don't like.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

**Chapter 4**

**The "Truth" Revealed, Doubts are formed**

_Halibel kneeled in Aiz__en's throne room, having left Orihime in her room._

"_How did it go?" Aize__n inquired casually._

"_It was a complete success Lord Aizen," she replied," The girl has already begun forming a bond with me."_

"_Perfect," Aizen smiled._

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"Thank goodness you're alright," Ichimaru said with mocking enthusiasm," I looked everywhere for you."

Orihime stared at his position on the couch, which looked identical to the one he was in when she left.

"I looked on the couch, behind the couch, under the couch, in between the cushions, in the corner of the room, and on the ceiling," he rattled off.

"Sounds like you don't know what 'everywhere' means," she muttered, tired from a trying day. She didn't think he would hear her, but he had hearing like a bat.

His twisted smile widened, revealing his teeth. Orihime suddenly missed Halibel's comforting presence.

"I didn't have much time to look, you know. After all, you were only gone for about four hours." His voice was saturated in sarcasm.

Orihime's eyes widened. "No way," she whispered, mainly to herself. She just arrived in Szayel's lab in an orange flash about 15 minutes ago, meaning for 3 hours and 45 minutes _she had ceased to exist_.

Ichimaru just shrugged.

All of the sudden, his smile turned a little sad, almost haunted. The change shocked Orihime, who didn't know that he could look so… human. It confused her.

"You've been to Rukongai, right?"

His questioned surprised her, as it lacked his usual mocking undertones.

She thought back to her time in Soul Society, back to the dusty roads of Rukongai. She nodded, not sure where he was going with this.

"You know what Soul Society's catchphrase is? _The place where you don't go hungry_. I almost died of starvation during my first year after my death," he said, sounding almost haunted, as if reliving his past.

"But," she said weakly," I thought you couldn't go hungry."

He looked intensely at her, and while she couldn't see his eyes, she felt like he was looking into the depths of her soul, reading it like an open book. She cast her eyes down, breaking contact.

After what felt like hours he answered," That's exactly what they want people to believe. They want people to think Soul Society is heaven. It's true, most people can't go hungry. You only get hungry if you have spiritual powers." He paused, letting his words sink into her, laying the foundation for his part to play.

"I had strong powers, meaning I felt a deep hunger, constantly. I had to steal everyday just to survive. It wasn't a life, but an existence, was nothing more than day to day routine. There was no meaning to anything I did." He watched sympathy pour out her eyes, etching itself on her pretty face. This was just _too_ easy.

"I thought it would go on forever, living without a purpose. But something happened, the second year after my death. I met a girl who had power like I did, passed out from hunger. I had finally found someone like me, and for the first time in so long, I felt hope. Do you know who I had found? Rangiku Matsumoto." He silently apologized to Rangiku for using her in the plan.

Orihime was thoroughly enthralled in his story. She felt emotions swirling through her as this man she thought she hated opened up before her. _It must be hard for him, sharing his inner demons with someone he barely knows. _

"You're a lot like Rangiku, Orihime," he said slowly.

She felt a blush rise to her cheeks when she thought about being compared to the beautiful strawberry-blonde. Her blush deepened as she realized he was comparing her to the first person who gave him hope.

"You are a good person, Orihime. You're such a good person, that you practically radiate light and goodness, even in such a dark place as Hueco Mundo. Just like Rangiku did for the hopeless pit called Rukongai. When ever I see you, it's like looking at a reflection of Rangiku."

He smiled more happily," The only difference between you guys is that she found my antics funny."

She thought about how afraid she had been of him, and felt a bit guilty of how she had treated him.

The sad look returned to his face. He returned to his story," We both became Soul Reapers after that. It was too hard to keep living on stolen food. Suddenly, our lives were luxurious, filled with things we had never dared to hope for before. But living the good life, it consumes you. It makes you slowly forget everything before that, all the 'unimportant' things, like the suffering that happens every day in Rukongai, all the crime. And that works for some people."

"But I didn't want to forget. I wanted to change things, use my power to make things better. I approached higher-ups about it frequently, but every time they said,' Things work the way they are now. The citizens of Rukongai should live in freedom.' But that wasn't enough for me."

Orihime stared, transfixed, at Ichimaru, marveling at thins new side of him. She really didn't want to interrupt him, but she had a burning question for him.

"What about Rangiku?" she asked softly.

His smile, sad as it was, disappeared. "She fell under the charm of our new lives, just like they wanted."

"Just when it seemed hopeless," he continued, his sad smile reforming," I got promoted to Lieutenant, under Captain Aizen. He agreed with me, the only other person I knew who acknowledged Soul Society's corruption. Unlike me, however, he had a plan for how to stop it. I'm not going to lie to you; the plan is incredibly Machiavellian, but that's really the only way to change things, it seems."

She stared ahead dumbly, trying to digest this new information. His words went against everything she had thought up to this point. In a way, her pre-set ideas (Aizen is evil, Soul Society is right) were comforting. They were reliable. But in one conversation everything she considered truth was shattered so easily, and she realized how weak they really were.

She was about to say something when a loud, frantic knocking came at her door.

"Come on in," Ichimaru hollered, his face once again donning his usual smile.

A flustered-looking female arrancar burst into the room, panting heavily.

"Commander Ichimaru, Lord Aizen needs to speak with you right away," she gasped out, slouching and clutching her side.

"All right," he replied," Would you mind watching Orihime until Ulquiorra gets here?"

She straightened out and said," Yes sir."

He waved to Orihime and disappeared with a flash step. The pale arrancar leaned against the wall, breathing hard.

"Are you all right?" Orihime asked timidly, unsure about this new girl.

"Yea," she replied breathlessly," It's just that Las Noches is friggin' huge, and I just sprinted across the entire thing."

Orihime noticed how strange her hair was. It was an odd shade of green, and worn in a high ponytail. Her piece of hollow mask took form as a ring around her left eye. Together with her milk-colored eyes, she looked really weird.

"Congratulations," the funny-looking arrancar said suddenly, surprising Orihime.

Upon seeing Orihime's confusion, she elaborated," Congratulations on your engagement."

"Oh, thank you," she said, not mentioning that she didn't have a choice in the matter.

The arrancar smiled, not picking up on Orihime's sudden sadness.

"My name's Okashii, by the way," Okashii chirped.

When Orihime didn't respond, Okashii noticed the sad look on her face. Not wanting to be nosey, but not wanting her to be sad, she said the first thing that popped into her head," Want to see something really cool?"

The despondent girl looked up, and nodded. That being all encouragement she needed, Okashii formed a small ball of cero in her hand, then threw it up in the air. She quickly formed another, and tossed it up as well. She added a third and began juggling them.

Orihime felt herself smile as Okashii juggled the red, glowing cero balls behind her back and under her leg. She actually laughed when Okashii stood on her hands and juggled with her feet.

"What is going on here?" a detached voice asked from the door. In surprise, Okashii's arms buckled beneath her, landing her in a heap on the floor. The cero she had been juggling flew into the walls, leaving smoking craters.

"Whoops," Okashii muttered nervously, meeting harsh green eyes.

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A/N- That chapter was pretty boring, but I needed that for the story. At least I got to introduce my OC, Okashii (Okashii means strange or funny). For those of you who don't like Ocs, don't worry. Okashii isn't really that important. She only shows up, like, three times in the entire story. Next chapter's going to have some action, so tune in next Friday! Please review!


	6. Chapter 5

A/N- Hey, hey, hey! 5th chapter is hot off the press!! Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

**Chapter 5**

**If At First You Don't Succeed, Try and Try Again**

"_What is going on here?" a detached voice asked from the door. In surprise, Okashii's arms buckled beneath her, landing her in a heap on the floor. The cero she had been juggling flew into the walls, leaving smoking craters. _

"_Whoops," Okashii muttered nervously, meeting harsh green eyes._

Okashii stood up, and let out a nervous laugh. "Greetings, Master Ulquiorra. How was your mission?" she asked politely.

"Leave immediately," Ulquiorra said coldly, ignoring her question.

Okashii whimpered slightly, gave a polite bow, and practically sprinted out of the room. She stopped at the doorway, turned, smiled, and waved cheerfully to Orihime. She then resumed her fearfully escape.

Orihime looked at Ulquiorra in confusion and asked," Is she alright?"

Ulquiorra shrugged slightly and said," She's afraid of me." He was making an effort not to sound cold to the girl he was supposed to befriend.

She looked at him curiously, not used to him answering her questions. "Why?"

He just shrugged again, deciding not to mention that a month prior he had almost killed her for calling him a 'funny clown'.

"Did she harm you?" he asked, sounding as concerned as he was really capable of.

"What? Of course not! Why would she?" Orihime asked, shocked by his question.

Ulquiorra felt a tug of annoyance but replied evenly," She was juggling, correct?" He motioned to the still smoking craters in her wall.

She giggled. The noise sounded oddly familiar to Ulquiorra, even though this was the first time she had laughed in his presence. He felt vaguely uneasy.

"I am needed for wedding preparations. I'll be back later with your dinner." His voice took on a hint of softness. He turned and left the room, trying to ignore the Déjà vu feeling that was arising within him.

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Nnoitra wasn't the type to give up easily. He was very goal-oriented, especially when it came to challenges. As far as he could see, to get to Orihime, he had to go through Halibel, Ulquiorra, and Grimmjow. _That won't be a problem,_ he thought with a creepy smile, _after all, I am the strongest Espada. _

Luckily for him, no one was guarding Orihime when he went to _visit_ her. Her door wasn't even locked.

Orihime was surprised when less than 15 minutes after Ulquiorra left her door opened. She hadn't realized it was dinnertime already.

Without looking away from the window, she silently thought about different excuses she could give Ulquiorra not to eat. It wasn't really because she didn't want to eat, more that coming up with excuses had become something of a game for her. As sad as it was, arguing with Ulquiorra was normally the most exciting part of her day.

Upset at her lack of reaction, Nnoitra leaked a bit of his spiritual pressure. It wasn't enough to hurt her, just enough to inform her of exactly who he was. He watched in satisfaction as her head whipped around in terror, her face donning a horrified expression. He grinned.

"Did you really think I would just give up?" Nnoitra drawled.

She backed up, feeling her mouth go dry. He felt a surge of satisfaction for causing her such fear. As an experiment, he leaked a little more of his spiritual pressure, causing her to drop to her knees.

"Are you alright? You look awfully tired," he said mockingly," Oh well, there's a nice, comfortable bed right there."

He grabbed her by the collar and tossed her onto the bed with ease.

"Halibel's helping with a new arrancar," he said conversationally," so she won't be making an appearance this time."

She watched in numb terror as he slinked over to the bed, leaning over her so their faces were inches apart.

He reached out his hand and stroked her face in mock sensuality. She felt disgusted by this _creature's _touch. Something in that gesture hardened her resolve. She felt sick of being the weak little victim, unable to defend herself. Her eyes shed the weak terror for anger.

She spoke clearly and without hesitation," Koten Zanshun, I reject!"

Nnoitra moved quickly to the side, avoiding the glowing orange projectile. His eye narrowed, but he smirked.

"Didn't you know you liked to play rough. Fine by me." He grabbed a fist full of her hair, pulling her up to face him. He leaned in to kiss her, and he would have, except…

"Santen Kesshun, I reject!" A shield intercepted his face, causing him to recoil. He glared at the girl who met his eye steadily and calmly. He growled. Where was the delicious fear? Why wasn't she trembling and crying?

His hand curled into a fist, and he shattered her shield with a punch. Her resolve didn't waver. She could hear the voices of her Shun Shun Rikka clearly now, telling her what to do.

His hand curled around her neck, killing intent plain in his expression and spiritual pressure.

He squeezed her neck, fully intent on killing her on the spot. Damn the consequences, this chick was pissing him off.

"Mutsuten Itenshun, I reject!" She called loudly. All six of her Shun Shun Rikka materialized. They swirled around her, creating a cylinder barrier around her, just like with Ichimaru, but this time, there was no pain. His hand shot back as a searing pain passed through it. In a flash of orange, she disappeared.

Nnoitra held his burning hand. That last attack, no one had told him about it. He had been told that she had three abilities. She could reject fate, attack, and create a shield. No one bothered to tell him she could disappear.

He wondered idly what he should do now. He had no idea where the girl went. He _really _didn't want to be caught at the scene of the crime when Aizen wondered where his _precious_ pet was.

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He mused silently for about five minutes when a burst of orange exploded in his peripheral vision. There was the girl, standing at the opposite corner of the room. Her expression had definitely changed. That anger was gone, and her eyelids drooped, as if it was all she could to keep her eyes open. A look of shocked donned his features briefly, before being replaced by a huge grin.

He sauntered over to her, taking his time, relishing the fear that was finally making its appearance. Her trembling arms rose up to defend her, but just as soon fell limp. _That last move must have really wiped her out, _he thought gleefully.

"It's really a shame," he claimed matter-of-factly," that you won't be able to walk straight as you walk down the aisle."

Her eyes widened. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but he didn't want to hear it. He clamped his hand over her mouth, silencing her. In one swift motion he used his leg to knock hers out from under her. She fell to the ground, hard. He towered over her, looking like a spoon from hell.

Her vision was getting blurry. She had used up too much power; she could barely hang on to consciousness. She blinked.

When she opened her eyes, Nnoitra was no longer above her. He was embedded into the wall, and his clothes were smoking. Grimmjow stood in the doorway, his hand still glowing red. Her weary brain finally came to the conclusion that Grimmjow had shot Nnoitra with cero.

"Reckless as ever, Grimmjow. Didn't I tell you to wait for me?" A voice that was unmistakably Ulquiorra's asked. He entered the room at a casual pace.

"Che. If I waited for you, the girl would be dead already."

"Rushing into a battle alone against someone who is a higher rank than you is pure stupidity."

"Please. As if I needed your help."

Orihime cleared her throat softly to remind the arguing Espada of her presence. Both men turned to face her, looking slightly guilty that they had forgotten about her. Well, Grimmjow did, anyway. Ulquiorra looked stoic as ever.

"You," Nnoitra growled, rising unsteadily from the indent on the wall," Did you really think that wimpy cero blast would hurt me? I have the strongest hierro of all the Espada!" He had his own cero charged up, a result of being ignored a little too long. The blast came hurdling at Grimmjow.

In that same second Ulquiorra was in front of him, deflecting the cero blast with one hand, leaving a huge hole in the wall next to the door. He glanced at Grimmjow from the corner of his eye.

"As usual, you leave too many openings," Ulquiorra said condescendingly.

Grimmjow growled," Shut up. I don't need you to protect me."

"Very well. Protect the girl, I'll take of Nnoitra."

Grimmjow walked over to where the girl was laying, hair fanned out, eyes barely open. He frowned. How much damage did Nnoitra do? Despite the fact that he was only here because Aizen had told him to befriend the girl, he felt genuine pity for her. Nnoitra really was a creep.

He figured he should probably say something comforting, seeing as how that was what a friend would do. He didn't think before the words formed themselves, and he heard himself say," It's over now, Abby."

She looked at him shocked, almost haunted. Why did he say that? More importantly, why did it sound so familiar?

He looked just as shocked. Mind reeling, he said the only thing he could think of. "Erm, I mean Orihime." He knelt next to her, pretending nothing had happened. He did a quick once-over. She was bruised, but nothing was broken. She was exhausted, but her clothes were still intact, which was a good sign.

He glanced over his shoulder at Nnoitra and Ulquiorra. They weren't moving. They weren't talking. They were glaring at each other, slit eye meeting impassive eyes. Finally, Nnoitra buckled under the weight of Ulquiorra's harsh gaze. He stood up straight, protecting what dignity he had left. He cast a hateful gaze at Orihime.

"So much trouble over a girl who isn't really _that_pretty. Oh well, you're not worth my time. You're not worth anything actually. Just ask Kurosaki."

Leaving those cruel words hanging in the air, he left, thoroughly bored. Orihime felt burning tears spill over her cheeks. Her mental distress was obvious, and neither Grimmjow nor Ulquiorra were quite sure what to say.

Finally Ulquiorra thought of something that would, hopefully, make her feel better whilst simultaneously helping Aizen's plan along.

"You needn't worry what Kurosaki thinks of you. Lord Aizen thinks you are beautiful and precious."

Grimmjow was mildly impressed at how well Ulquiorra had turned the situation in Aizen's favor. He had confirmed that Kurosaki didn't care about her and said that Aizen did. He really was a great lapdog.

Orihime sniffled," Thank you both… for saving me."

She hiccupped, and then buried her head into Grimmjow's chest. She clung to him and sobbed. He grimaced. Why couldn't she have hugged Ulquiorra? Said jerk was smirking, ever so slightly, at Grimmjow's obvious discomfort.

She pulled back slowly, cheeks tinted pink with embarrassment. She averted her eyes, head hung in shame. For some reason, this pissed Grimmjow off. This chick was supposed to be some kind of a god. The least she could do was keep her head held high.

He considered saying something along those lines, but decided against it. He could feel Aizen approaching, slowly. His eyes met Ulquiorra's, and a silent understanding passed between the rivals. It was time to wrap things up.

"Well," Ulquiorra broke the silence that had settled around them," If you ever need help, you can ask us."

"Yeah," Grimmjow agreed uncomfortably," we're here for you."

Orihime cast a somewhat suspicious glance at each of them. It seemed a little weird that they were being so nice to her all the sudden. Then again, she wasn't complaining. Maybe her luck was finally turning around.

"Did something happen to the wall?" Aizen asked, a good-natured smile gracing his features.

Orihime was the only one surprised. She spun around to face her captor. Ulquiorra's words still rang in her memory. _Lord Aizen thinks you are beautiful and precious. _Was this man really capable of such kindness?

"Nnoitra happened," Grimmjow said gruffly. After a short jab to the ribs from Ulquiorra, he added," Lord Aizen."

"Oh my, are you alright, Orihime?" His voice sounded caring, and his eyes seemed genuine. She nodded numbly. He smiled.

"Ulquiorra, don't bring Orihime dinner tonight. She will be dining with me this evening, in my private quarters.

Ulquiorra nodded and replied," Yes, Lord Aizen."

The two Espada took their leave. Orihime wished they hadn't left. She always felt so awkward alone with Aizen.

He smiled at her. She looked into his eyes, and instantly regretted it. His hypnosis was already working its way through her system, the second she met his eyes. Her knees felt weak. A warm feeling spread through her body, and all her muscles relaxed, She tried to move, but couldn't. His eyes were so mesmerizing, the sword was just overkill.

He placed his hand lightly on her arm. He led her out the room, leading her to his private quarters. _His private quarters. _She felt her stomach lurch.

Somehow, he managed to keep eye contact with her the entire walk there. If you had asked her, she couldn't tell you how long it had taken. Time lost all meaning when looking into his impossibly warm, chocolate-colored eyes. She walked in a trance-like state, staring into his eyes like a moth stares at light, completely unaware of the hungry spider lurking in the shadows.

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A/N- That's right, I played the Nnoitra card again. I can say with complete certainty that I won't play it again. I got really sick of writing Orihime as a weakling, so I decided to give her a moment of power! Yay girl power!

BTW: Mutsuten Itenshun is the technique Orihime used in chapter two. It means Six Sacred Moving Shield. It uses all six of her Shun Shun Rikka, and looks very similar to Rukia's first dance, only orange and not icy.

Did any one notice how friggin' long this chapter was?! Chapters will be about this long from here on out. Now the action begins. Alright, I'm done ranting. Please review!


	7. Chapter 6

A/N- Hey people! Sixth chapter FINALY done!! Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story. Thanks so much to everyone who's read this far!

Warning: May contain minor spoilers Turn Back the Pendulum arc

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

**Chapter 6**

**Something's Amiss, Dinner with the Enemy**

_He placed his hand lightly on her arm. He led her out __of the room, leading her to his private quarters. __**His private quarters**__. She felt her stomach lurch._

_Somehow, he managed to keep eye contact with her the entire walk there. If you had asked her, she couldn't tell you how long it had taken. Time lost all meaning when looking into his impossibly warm, chocolate-colored eyes. She walked in a trance-like state, staring into his eyes like a moth stares at light, completely unaware of the hungry spider lurking in the shadows._

The dining room was lavishly designed, but that came as no surprise. Red silk curtains hung over a large round window. The moon shone beautifully through the window, casting a romantic glow throughout the room. This was amplified by the numerous candles in the room, sending warm, flickering light across the room.

Orihime felt somewhat overwhelmed by the thick, romantic atmosphere. She didn't really have any experience with romance. The only man she had ever loved was Ichigo, and heaven knew he wasn't interested. Ichigo had his sights set firmly on Rukia, and that was the way it was.

She felt hot tears form. Useless on the battlefield, meaningless to Ichigo, she felt so worthless. Her tears spilt over. _No one needs me. Maybe it is better I'm here. At least now I won't get in their way. _

She felt him slowly, gently, wipe away her tears. She marveled silently at the smoothness of his skin. It seem almost _wrong _that a hand so stained in blood would be so soft. Yet that comfort was exactly what she needed.

Ulquiorra's words still echoed in her mind. _Lord Aizen thinks you are beautiful and precious._

That feeling of being wanted, even by the enemy, was like a drug for her. She needed it, needed anything that could reassure her that she wasn't worthless.

He led to the table. In her mind, she had pictured it as a huge oak table, where they would sit at opposite ends, luxurious foods covering every inch. In reality, the table was a nice, comfortable size. All of her favorite foods were there. She remembered telling Halibel about her favorite foods, and was surprised she had remembered them. But without a doubt, the best thing on that table was the framed picture of Sora.

She stared at it, afraid that if her eyes left it, even for a moment, that it would disappear. Aizen smiled at her reaction. It was exactly what he had been hoping for, of course. When Halibel reported that Orihime had a deceased brother, he had sent a low-level arrancar to her house, in search of a picture. It was clear that she liked it.

Slowly, reluctantly, she turned to face him. Her voice was weak but she managed," Thank you… so much."

He smiled in return. He motioned for her to sit. She did, immediately taking the picture and hugging it to her. She set it right next to her plate, and continually looked at it throughout dinner.

He noticed with some surprise that she ate quite a lot, contrary to Ulquiorra's reports. She tried so hard to eat politely, but days of avoiding meal and eating the bare minimum had left her ravenous.

When dinner was done, she sat still, unsure of what to do. She had been avoiding eye contact with him the entire time, worried about the effect he had on her, and she knew that it hadn't escaped him.

"What did you think, Orihime?" he asked softly, breaking her out her reverie.

She looked up. She realized how rude she must seem, not even looking at the man who had gone to such great lengths to make her happy.

She forced a cheerful smile. "It was great! These were all my favorite dishes. I… I really appreciate it."

He smiled," I'm glad."

He stood up form the table, walking over to her, slowly. Something she had noticed, he was never in a hurry. Everything he did, he did as if he had all the time in the world. For all she knew, maybe he did.

He held out his hand, and she took it. She rose unsteadily, not really trusting her legs to support her. She leaned a little closer into him. In her defense, she still felt tired from her overexertion earlier, and he was really warm.

He figured now was as good a time as any. He carefully leaned down, and gently brushed his lips against hers. It was a small kiss, really, and very chaste. He was most definitely not prepared for her response.

When he brushed his lips against hers, something in her snapped. Suddenly, every feeling of doubt, self-consciousness, and jealousy blast into her mind. She felt a sharp pang of need, need to be held, need to be loved. She was so filled that need, she kissed him back. Not a brush of the lips, definitely not chaste. She kissed him back with such fervor that he was momentarily taken aback.

She was just as surprised as he was. She felt very out of control. Yet, she didn't want to pull away, not when she was finally feeling appreciated. He kissed her so softly, gently, patiently. She kissed him roughly, desperately, hungrily. She wondered when she had changed from an innocent little girl into _this. _For goodness' sake, she was kissing the enemy! And enjoying it…

Aizen was surprised. This was completely unexpected. It seemed his plan was working much better than he had hoped. Her arms moved up to his neck, so that he supported all of her weight, which wasn't much. The girl was very skinny.

So he kissed her, though not with the same desperation that she did. Without breaking the kiss, he lifted her off the ground, holding her bridal-style. She curled into his chest, savoring the warmth he emanated from his being. A soft moan vibrated from deep within her throat. She deepened the kiss a little further.

At this point, Orihime gave up trying to justify her response. She settled for enjoying the kiss. She felt so sad when he pulled away, but he still held her, and she was glad. Her legs were in no condition to hold her up. Now that the adrenaline was subsiding, the truth about what she had just done was hitting her at full force. Her cheeks turned scarlet, and her head hung, partially in shame and partially in exhaustion.

She felt so fatigued, after such a long day. He noticed, and without a word, he carried her off, her arms around his neck and him holding her. Walls passed by in a blur, and suddenly, they were in his bedroom. If she wasn't so drained, she would have started hyperventilating.

He smiled reassuringly. He gently lowered her onto his bed. His bed was like a cloud beneath her aching back. She had never felt such comfort in her life. She wondered, idely, if this large mattress was made out something not found on earth.

He remained standing, looking at her. His gaze wasn't lecherous, like Nnoitra's, in fact; it was almost child-like admiration. She felt a faint blush creeping back into her cheeks. Never before had anyone looked at her like that. From her first kiss to this, she was having new experiences all over the place.

He eventually lay down next to her, although at a respectful distance. His hand reached over and started tracing circles on the back of her hand. Ethereal was his touch, so light over her skin. By this she was lulled into the darkness.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Her nightmare was different than the others she had in Los Noches. While they normally were about her friends fighting and getting hurt, this one strayed from the rut.

She was kissing Aizen in the dining room, just like she had last night. Every feeling she experienced that night was back, making her tremble by the sheer force of it.

Suddenly, he turned to a sparkling dust and blew away when a gentle breeze came. She was no longer in the dining room, but at a beautiful lake surrounded by a lush, green forest. The full moon shone brightly in the sky, but for some reason, it's reflection in the lake was brighter.

The lake too disappeared, and she was in a modest Japanese home from the feudal era. A large mirror sat in the middle of the floor. A purple flower in the room was reflected in the mirror, yet the reflection's beauty far surpassed that of the real thing. Hesitantly, she approached the mirror. Upon looking into it, it was not her own reflection that she saw.

A young soul reaper girl with dark hair and tired eyes stared back. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, and it was covered by teal fabric. Her eyes were dark and clouded. The most horrible thing of all was a gaping sword would in her chest. Blood was all over her clothes. Her lips were moving, but no sound came. Finally Orihime realized that the girl was mouthing, over and over again, _Aizen._

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Grimmjow and Ulquiorra being together for any period of time without arguing was an extremely rare occurrence in Hueco Mundo. The two were, quite frankly, as different as night and day. Grimmjow, for some reason, wanted desperately to prove he was stronger than Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra, for some reason, didn't want to hurt Grimmjow. For some reason, he felt indebted to him. Go figure.

But both were putting aside their disagreement for a new problem, which had taken priority.

"It's something about that name, Abby. It sounds so familiar," Grimmjow said for the fourth time in the last twenty minutes. He was pacing back and forth in Ulquiorra's room, where they had met to discuss the problem that had recently dropped into their lives. The problem's name was Orihime Inoue.

"We've already established that," Ulquiorra responded in a tone that vaguely resembled annoyance.

"Yeah, well it's the only lead we have," Grimmjow shot back hotly.

"Not really," Ulquiorra replied," Earlier today, she laughed. The noise sounded startlingly familiar."

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. "_You _made her laugh? _You_ can feel startled?"

"Yes. But that's not the important part."

"Che, whatever. We're missing something, something big. Something that makes her seem so familiar."

Ulquiorra sighed," Obviously. In any case, act normal around others. We don't want to draw attention to this."

"Whatever this is," Grimmjow muttered. Louder, he declared," And I don't take orders from you."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Meanwhile, in the world of the living, a certain orange-haired teen was _very_ pissed-off. It had been about a week and a half since Orihime's abduction (He still refused to think of it as betrayal). Had it been up to him, he would have invaded Hueco Mundo right away, guns blaring. Unfortunately…

"Hey idiot! Don't space out while we're training. In a real fight, you'd be dead."

Ichigo glared at Shinji. The blonde just snorted and charged again, causing Ichigo to jump back.

As much as he resented the Vizard leader for keeping him here, he had to admit it had been a pretty good idea. His time with his hollow mask had increased from 11 seconds to 5 minutes, and he had learned a lot about Aizen. Apparently the Vizard were Aizen experts.

"Shut up. This isn't a real fight. It _could_ be, if you would let me go to Hueco Mundo."

Shinji didn't miss a beat. "If you went to Hueco Mundo at your current level, you'd be dead in an instant. Then who would save Orihime, my precious first crush?"

Ichigo growled. He knew Shinji was right, but he still hated leaving Orihime alone. Who knew what kind of horrible torture they were putting her through? Someone like Orihime couldn't handle that kind of distress.

"When will I be ready then?" Ichigo demanded impatiently. As if to prove his point, he sent an especially spirited Getsuga Tenshou toward Shinji.

Said Vizard ducked out of the way in a nick of time. He stood back to admire the rock that the attack had obliterated.

"Five days, max."

Ichigo sighed. He could wait for five days. He would spend every minute of those five days pushing his power to the max. He would get strong enough to save Orihime. He would gain the power to protect his friends. If possible, he would get strong enough to kick Aizen's ass.

"Then let's do this."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Rukia Kuchiki was not a happy camper. She had been very moody since her forceful return to Soul Society. Sure, openly opposing the Commander-General probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but they shouldn't have sent her brother! Of all the people they could have sent, they chose to send the one person who would make her feel the absolute worst. He had given her _that_ look, like _look what Rukia did this time_.

The Squad 6 barracks, which had recently been converted into the Anti-Rukia Shelter, currently housed the two men in her life she would most likely take out her aggression on.

"I still feel she is over-reacting. Why should she be so upset about this human girl?" Byakuya asked.

Renji, who shared in Rukia's sentiments, if not to the same degree, had the common sense not to get in her way when she got pissed. He had, in fact, been the one to suggest the shelter. He was also more of less acting as a mediator between Rukia's ideas and Byakuya's.

"Orihime is her friend. She risked her life to save Rukia, and saved her from the brink of death. It's really only natural that Rukia would want to return the favor, you know?"

Byakuya pondered this. "Yes," he said," That does make sense. But still, to act that disrespectful to the Commander-General, it sullies the great Kuchiki name."

Renji looked at his captain wearily. "You're not going to do the same thing you did the last time she sullied the Kuchiki name, are you?"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"You know," Renji continued," Try to kill her. 'Cause last time you did, I had to learn Bankai. I'm not really sure what else I could do if you decided to try again."

"That's foolish," Byakuya said dismissively," I didn't try to kill her because she had sullied the Kuchiki name. I tried to kill her because she had broken the law, and I swore on my parents' grave I would uphold the law."

A tense silence filled the room.

"Um… Captain?" Renji asked, slowly.

"Yes, Renji?" Byakuya asked, having a bad feeling he knew what his Lieutenant was about to ask him.

"Did you suddenly feel Rukia's spiritual pressure disappear?"

Byakuya sighed. "Yes, Renji."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Ichigo was in the middle of a heated fight with Hiyori, so he didn't Rukia's spiritual pressure outside the barrier right away.

When he did, he got so distracted that Hiyori landed a decent kick to the side of his head. He slammed face first into a large rock nearby.

"What the heck! My friend is out there! Why didn't one of you say something?" he yelled.

Shinji looked up lazily. "We noticed her, like, five minutes ago. We figured if we left her alone she would go away."

Ichigo grimaced. Rukia would be mad for being ignored. He flashed over to the stairs. "Open the friggin' barrier, Hachi."

Hachi looked to Shinji, who nodded. He opened a door-sized portion of the barrier. Ichigo flashed out.

The first thing he noticed was that Rukia was not anywhere near him. In fact, he couldn't sense her spiritual pressure in this dimension at all. The second thing he noticed was that Rukia had left a note in the dirt saying," _Friends don't leave friends behind. Attempts to do this will result in a ass-kicking. Consider yourself warned." _But that, of course, wasn't enough for Rukia. She had to leave the message in fire, no doubt from Kido.

Ichigo sighed deeply. He turned around, seeing Shinji's face peeking curiously out the door.

"You don't happen to have a fire extinguisher in there, do you?"

()()()()()()()()()()()()

"So," Renji asked tentatively," should we go get her?"

The guard of the gate to the living world had just confirmed that Rukia had left, about five minutes ago.

"Yes. She has been ordered to return to Soul Society. Those orders must be enforced."

"What orders?" an overly sweet, innocent voice asked from behind them. Both men spun around to see the source of their problems smiling up at them.

"Rukia," Byakuya began in a dangerously calm voice," Do you know what your orders were? Orders that came from the Commander-General himself?"

Renji sensed danger. Without thinking he blurted," Hey Captain! Remember, we have to interview that new fifth seat officer today. We should go do that, immediately."

Byakuya didn't look impressed. "The interview is tomorrow."

Renji persisted," I'm pretty sure it was today. That's not a chance we want to take, right? We wouldn't want some new officer to think badly of the 6th squad because we missed an interview, right?"

"Very well," Byakuya relented, seeing what his lieutenant was trying to do. "Let's go."

Renji sighed in relief. Another crisis averted.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

If it hadn't been for Ulquiorra, Orihime wouldn't have woken up until very much later. She had been absolutely exhausted yesterday, had an awful nightmare in the middle of the night, and had really hoped to sleep in. That plan had been effectively ruined when Ulquiorra entered Aizen's room and woke her up.

"Come. Lord Aizen has requested your presence at a meeting of the Espada."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N- That scene with Renji, Byakuya, and Rukia was supposed to be funny, but I have a weird sense of humor, so you guys might have thought it was lame. And OOC. Oh, well. Better to take a swing and a miss then to never swing at all.

For those who thought Orihime was OOC, think of it as Aizen being _in character_. He's a maniacal genius, so it would make sense if his plan worked. Plus he's pretty attractive, at least according to all my Aizen Fangirl friends. Consider this chapter a shout-out to them, and to Aizen+Orihime shippers.

Who wanted to punch Aizen in the face after reading this chapter? I did, and I'm the one who wrote it. Come on, guys, Ulqui needs encouragement! Go Ulqui!

Wow this chapter was long. 2,857 words not counting A/N!!


	8. Chapter 7

A/N-This chapter took forever to finish!! Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

**Chapter 7**

**The Treachery Thickens, the Next Espada Meeting **

_If it hadn't been for Ulquiorra, Orihime wouldn't have woken up until very much later. She had been absolutely exhausted yesterday, had an awful nightmare in the middle of the night, and had really hoped to sleep in. That plan had been effectively ruined when Ulquiorra enter__ed Aizen's room and woke her up._

"_Come. Lord Aizen has requested your presence at a meeting of the Espada."_

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_Earlier…_

The Espada were gathered once more, waiting for their leader. Conversation was sparse at such meetings, as none of the Espada were really friends.

It was Nnoitra who broke the silence that had settled around them. "So, you think Lord Aizen screwed that chick last night?"

All eyes shifted to him. He just grinned.

"You were all thinking it. The girl never returned to her room last night, right Ulquiorra?"

"Yes, but I do not believe such acts have transpired," Ulquiorra responded in a dead tone, trying to sound apathetic. In truth, Nnoitra's word made a hateful anger arise in his chest. It may have been his imagination, but he thought he saw Grimmjow stiffen as well.

"Why do you always have to ruin the fun?" Nnoitra whined," Besides, that's what Aizen said he was going to do."

"You fool," Halibel glared," Lord Aizen is going to marry the girl. It is only your twisted mind that immediately jumps to conclusions with out any proof."

Nnoitra glared back. "I have proof! She was in his room all night."

"Sounds like your supremely jealous, 5th Espada," Szayel sniggered.

"As if. She's got a nice body, but she's annoying as hell."

"And by annoying, you mean stronger than you, right?" Grimmjow sneered.

A low growl erupted form Nnoitra as he stood up, ready for a fight. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Grimmjow smirked. "How's your hand doing?"

Nnoitra subconsciously cradled his burnt hand. "I wasn't trying to hurt her. If I had wanted to, I could have shattered her skull. I just didn't want to."

"Please. I could feel the killer intent choking your spiritual pressure," Grimmjow deadpanned.

Nnoitra clenched his jaw, hating the look of superiority the 6th Espada was giving him. "It was that freaky technique she did."

Szayel looked up, interested now. "What was that new technique she used? It sounds very interesting."

"Indeed it does," Aizen said from the doorway, with Gin and Tousen flanking him. Everyone straightened out at the sound of their leader's voice. "Please tell us more about it, Nnoitra," he continued.

Nnoitra sat down and adopted a bored expression. "She said something, she disappeared for five minutes, then she reappeared, and she was exhausted."

"What did she say?" Aizen pressed.

"I don't remember. Everything she says sounds the same."

"She didn't use a vocal command around me," Ichimaru chimed in," She just started screaming and thrashing. Looked like she was in a lot of pain, and she didn't show up again for four hours, right Szayel?"

Szayel nodded in confirmation.

"I see," Aizen said thoughtfully," And you couldn't break the barrier, Gin?"

"Nope. It's a lot like Negación, actually."

Aizen nodded. He turned back to Nnoitra. "I want you to try very hard to remember," Aizen said patiently, increasing his spiritual pressure. Nnoitra's eye widened.

"It was… something, something… I reject!" he said finally.

Aizen didn't look impressed.

"You know, I just happen to have recorded evidence of the girl kicking Nnoitra's ass with me," Ichimaru said nonchalantly, pulling out a small disk out of his pockets.

Nnoitra growled," You _carry it around with you?" _He didn't stop to think that Ichimaru had probably saved his life.

Ichimaru grinned. "Or course. You never know when you're going to need blackmail material."

Aizen smiled placidly. "Play the disk, Kaname."

"Yes, Lord Aizen," Tousen droned. He inserted the disk and moved the lever. A blue tinted hologram appeared in the middle of the table. Orihime appeared standing her ground against Nnoitra. All the Espada watched as she attacked, defended, and finally…

"Mutsuten Itenshun, I reject!" she called bravely. The orange cylinder barrier appeared, sending Nnoitra back. She disappeared from sight. The picture blurred from being fast-forwarded. Moments later she reappeared in and orange flash, looking exhausted. She couldn't even hold her arms up. The video cut off.

"I see," Aizen mused," Six Sacred Moving Shield, or location rejection. By doing this, she can break down the spirit particles of her spirit body and rebuild it somewhere else; therefore erasing all traces that she was ever in her previous position. Very interesting."

He thought about this. Location rejection was not what he had been expecting. Quite frankly, it wasn't what he was hoping for either. A thought occurred to him.

"I wonder… if she can move other spiritual items, not just herself," he said, mainly to himself. He contemplated this silently.

"You mean the Hougyoku?" Gin asked. Aizen nodded.

"We'll just have to see," Aizen said finally.

He redirected his attention to the Espada.

"Barragan, Aaroniero, Yammy, Szayel, and Zommari, I will now inform you of your roles in the plan."

Said Espada looked up, ready.

"The girl's friends will no doubt come to rescue her soon, and you will be in charge of killing them. Don't hold back; attack them with all your strength. It is crucial that they don't get in contact with the girl."

"Won't she turn on us when her friends get here?" Aaroniero asked in a deep voice.

Aizen's smile turned a little darker. "She's going to have a rather unpleasant reunion with her friends, courtesy of Kyouka Suigetsu."

Everyone nodded knowingly. Ichimaru laughed lightly.

"Nnoitra, you will also be assisting in the fighting," Aizen continued.

"Sweet, hope their not wimps," Nnoitra grinned. His other role might not have lived up to his expectations, but you couldn't go wrong with fighting, right?

"Their numbers are unknown, but it will probably be four or five, if her friends come alone. Each of you will wait in a designated area, and Gin will send them to you through hallway manipulation. Remember, do not hold back, no matter how weak they seem. Failure will not be tolerated." His voice was dark, a promise of pain unending in exchange for failure.

He added calmly," I'm sure we don't have to worry about that, though."

"Ulquiorra, would you please retrieve the girl from my domain?" Aizen asked.

"Yes, Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra replied, immediately standing to take his leave.

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. "We're going to let her listen to us plan to kill her friends?"

Aizen smiled maliciously. "Of course not. That would be cruel. I just want to introduce her to all of you."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_Current…_

"Come. Lord Aizen has requested your presence at a meeting of the Espada."

Orihime's eyes widened. She felt a strong urge to crawl under the covers and hide forever. She wasn't sure what some of the Espada thought of her, but she definitely didn't want to see the scalpel-happy Szayel or the lecherous Nnoitra.

Ulquiorra sighed. Why didn't this girl do things the first time she was told? Under normal circumstances, he would just threaten her into submission, but these circumstances were far from normal. He had to act like a friend to this girl, after all.

"Halibel will be there. So will Grimmjow and Stark." Ulquiorra said consolingly. Surely Halibel spoke of Stark, after all, the two were supposed to be dating.

Orihime perked up. She wanted to see Halibel again, and she was excited to meet Stark, who was Halibel's boyfriend. Grimmjow was nice too! Plus, Aizen would be there, and he wouldn't let anyone hurt her.

She rose out of Aizen's impossibly comfortable bed. Ulquiorra held out his hand, and she took it. She threw a curious glance at Ulquiorra. Why did he want to hold her hand?

She got her answer when Ulquiorra broke into a brisk walk, dragging her with him. Apparently they were in a hurry. He pulled her closer to him, getting a firm grip on her, he sonido-ed them away.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Orihime stared at the door to the meeting room as if it might grow teeth and bite her. She would reach slowly for it, pause, then yank her hand back. Ulquiorra was growing annoyed, which was amazing in and of itself.

"Please enter the room. Keeping Lord Aizen waiting is very rude."

She sighed. She spun around so she was face to face Ulquiorra. Maybe it was his imagination, but her eyes seemed larger and her bottom lip was further out than usual. For some unnamable reason, the expression made him feel guilty.

"Ulquiorra, could you please go in first? Please?" she asked.

"Very well. Follow me."

He entered the room first, and she hesitantly followed.

Aizen smiled as Orihime entered the room, legs trembling with fear. She kept her eyes locked on her feet, avoiding eye contact with everyone. She was hiding behind Ulquiorra, as if he was her human shield.

"Welcome, Orihime," Aizen said, causing her head to snap up. He rose fluidly out of his chair and sauntered over to her, placing a hand on her arm.

"You may be seated, Ulquiorra," Aizen said. Ulquiorra sat wordlessly.

Orihime let her eyes wander around the room. The Espada were an intimidating bunch, and she felt very weak in their presence. She was acutely aware of the icy glare Nnoitra was sending her. As for everyone else, they were sending looks of varying interest her way.

"Everyone, please introduce yourselves to our dear guest, in order by rank," Aizen said.

Stark looked up and smiled politely at the clearly frightened girl. "I'm the first Espada, Stark. It's nice to meet you."

Orihime smiled widely. "It's so nice to meet you too!" she gushed," Halibel told me about you!" _It's weird, he's the most powerful Espada, but he's really nice! Halibel was right, he is cute!_

Halibel said," I am the second Espada, Halibel. We've already met." Orihime nodded cheerfully. _Wow! The second most powerful Espada, how amazing!_

"Third Espada, Barragan," the older man grunted. _Ok, He's old and rude. I'll make a mental note to avoid him._

"Fourth Espada, Ulquiorra. You already know me." Ulquiorra intoned when his turn rolled around. _Yes, my cold but kind guardian. Must continue quest to make him smile._

Nnoitra sent a hateful glare right at her. "Nnoitra, fifth Espada," he grit out_. _Orihime gulped nervously. _Ignore him, he can't hurt you here. _

"Grimmjow Jaggerjack, sixth Espada. You know me." He sounded bored, but he kept glancing at her with his periph, as if analyzing her. _How odd. I should ask him about that later. Man, his last name is awesome. I'm so jealous._

"I am Zommari, the seventh Espada," Zommari said. _He's scary. What's up with those horns on his head?_

Szayel sighed," My name is Szayel Aporro Granz, and I am the eighth Espada, as well as Hueco Mundo's resident scientist." She stared at him in horror as if he had just admitted to enjoying kicking three-legged puppies. _Avoid him at all costs._

"I am Aaroniero, the ninth Espada," the masked thing said in a low voice. _What a weird mask. I wonder what his face looks like._

"Yammy, tenth Espada," Yammy introduced, unhappy to have to go last. _I remember him. He tried to kill me. _

"It's nice to meet you all," Orihime said politely. Awkward silence almost choked the girl. Nobody was sure what they were supposed to say.

"My dear," Aizen said with a small smile," Nnoitra tells me you have a new ability. Would you be so kind as to demonstrate for us?"

She nodded. She glanced around nervously. The Espada were looking expectantly at her. Aizen smiled encouragingly.

"Mutsuten Itenshun, I reject," she said quietly but firmly. Orange encompassed her, and she disappeared.

Silence followed. Everyone glanced around the room, wondering when and where she would reappear. Aizen took this opportunity to study his Espada. Nnoitra was visibly fuming, apparently still upset about being hurt by a girl. It seemed working under Neliel had given him severe self-esteem issues.

Grimmjow seemed uncharacteristically lost in thought. Grimmjow was a doer, not a thinker. Him thinking probably meant he was about to do something incredibly stupid. Would he sneak back to earth again? No, Tousen had taught him well the punishment for that. What was he planning?

An odd silence had settled around them. _How strange, _Aizen thought. His Espada were so energetic and violent, it was highly unusual for them to be so placid. He turned to Gin.

"Have they always gotten along so well?" he asked quietly.

Gin smiled, as if enjoying an inside joke with himself. "They only get along around you, Lord Aizen. You should see them when you're not around."

Aizen chuckled. That would be quite entertaining to watch. He made a mental note to have Gin record it sometime.

Orange lit up the room, and after four minutes of absence, Orihime made her reappearance. Her legs wobbled slightly, but she wasn't quite as tired as last time. Her eyelids fluttered, anxious to rest, but she forced her eyes open. Los Noches wasn't the best place to close your eyes.

Everyone was staring openly at her. She shifted uncomfortably under the weight of their gazes. She felt exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go back to her room and sleep. She turned to Aizen, waiting for him to give the command.

Aizen smiled at the squirming girl. Her thin shoulders were slouched forward, a sign of her fatigue. He could tell that she wanted to go back to her room and rest. But before he let her go, he had to plant the seed that would make his plan successful.

"Before you go, Orihime my dear, I have a surprise for you," Aizen said in a smooth voice. He walked up to her, so close they were almost touching. Orihime looked at him, her look curious and slightly weary.

"To show my unending gratitude for you being my bride, I have decided to grant you one wish."

Orihime jaw dropped. First she thought of genies. The thought of Aizen going in and out of a bottle was so hilarious that it was all she could do not to burst out laughing. Then she realized what he was saying. She could have anything she wanted. She could wish for Aizen to never harm her friends.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he placed his finger on her lips, silencing her.

"I encourage you to think on this. You may inform me after the wedding," he said softly, noticing how she winced at the word wedding.

"Ulquiorra, would you kindly escort Orihime back to her room?"

"Right away, Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra responded. He rose fluidly out his chair, approaching Orihime. He reached his hand out to her, and she took it, hesitantly. He led her swiftly out of the room, not sparing a glance backwards, even when she let out an indignant squawk from being dragged.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

"Ulquiorra, why are we rushing?" Orihime whined as the Cuatro Espada dragged her through the hallways of Los Noches.

"Ulquiorra? Ulquiorra!" she tried uselessly to get his attention. This was becoming frustrating. Why couldn't he answer her questions?

He opened her door when they reached her room. She entered immediantly, but he hovered in the hallway, staring into the hallway. She opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing, but he silenced her by holding up his index finger.

"Show yourself," he ordered, facing away from her.

Orihime stared at him questioningly. Who was he talking to?

Nothing happened, and Ulquiorra sighed softly. _Apparently this won't be easy_, he thought bitterly.

"Um… Ulquiorra?" Orihime asked hesitantly, stepping out of her room onto the hallway where he was standing.

He turned around to face her. His emerald eyes silently prompted her to go on.

"Who were you talking too?" she asked curiously.

He sighed again, a habit he had acquired since becoming her guardian.

"I'm not sure. I sense a presence, but I can't distinguish who it is. Whoever they are, they are very skilled at masking their spiritual pressure," he answered calmly. Not so calmly he thought, _the presence was also there during the meeting. I doubt anyone else was aware of it, as my __Pesquisa is more advanced than any other Espada. Still, there is a chance whoever it is overheard what was discussed at the meeting. That could prove problematic for the plan. _

Orihime's eyes widened. "You mean like a spy?" Her face adopted an excited expression. "Does Los Noches have an FBI? Is Zommari 007?"

Ulquiorra wasn't sure what to say to that. This girl made absolutely no sense.

"I saw this great American movie called 'Spy Kids' and it was about these kids whoseparentsarespiesandtheygoonfunadventuresand…"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened. _Is it physically possible for humans to talk that fast? It's as if she's saying one long word, _he thought.

"…theyfindoutabunchofsecretsandtheymeetaguywhoisevilatfirstbutthenhe'snice.."

_Is she seriously still talking? _He wasn't sure how much more he could handle. A lesser being would have probably killed her by now, but Ulquiorra prided himself on his steadfast patience. Still, even he had limits.

"…theninthesequelthekidsarespiestooandeveryonegoestoaislandwithwierdcreatures…"

_This is __just __ridiculous._Ulquiorra didn't even think before acting, a rather uncharacteristic move. He pressed his lips against hers, silencing her.

She stiffened initially, but soon her eyes fluttered close, almost against her will. He pressed herself against her, deepening the kiss. His skin was cold, but she felt warmer than she ever had before. As for him, he could feel every beat of her heart hammer in her chest, and the rhythm of it filled him with a strange sense of familiarity, as well as longing.

Orihime wrapped her arms around his waist, bringing them closer together. The strange thing was this was completely different from her kiss with Aizen. With Aizen it always felt as if he was hiding lies behind something sweeter. Ulquiorra didn't hide. He coldly and blatantly stated the facts, laying them out right before her eyes.

_I need to stop this, _they both thought. Yet neither of them pulled away. In a very real way, both of them needed this. Both were burdened so much right now, so they stayed together. They stayed in each other's arms, healing each others wounds with every move of their lips. Orihime would've been content to stay like this forever, until…

"Abigail," Ulquiorra whispered against her lips. Both of their eyes shot open. Orihime jerked away from him, staring in horror. He, for his part, looked just as shocked as she did.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but closed it again. What could he say?

She backed up slowly into her room and slammed the door on the still-shocked Ulquiorra. She leaned against the door, breathing hard. Grimmjow had called her Abby, Ulquiorra had called her Abigail. _Who is she? More importantly, who am I?_

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N- Be honest, raise your hand if you thought that last line was cornier than a corn field. /raises hand/. More importantly, this chapter had Ulquihime! Yay!

The actual order for the top three Espada hasn't been revealed yet, so I'm just going with what is most convienient for the story. This order will have more significance later.

BTW: for those who couldn't tell what Orihime was saying, she said," whose parents are spies and they go on fun adventures and they find out a bunch of secrets and they meet a guy who is evil at first but then he's nice then in the sequel the kids are spies too and everyone goes to a island with weird creatures."

Man, this chapter was long. It took me two weeks just to write it. Hope it turned out well. Please review!


	9. Omake Extra Chapter

A/N- This does not affect the actual story line. This was written to give me more time to write actual chapters. Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. This is omake, so no one will be in character, and it will be very random. Sorry if you don't like that sort of thing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

Rating: T plus (I think)

**Omake**

**Drunken Adventures of Grimmjow and Nnoitra**

"Hey, Grimmjow, do you hate Halibel?" Nnoitra asked Grimmjow while they were lounging around in Grimmjow's domain. Grimmjow was a feline by spirit, so he had way more comfortable furniture in his domain than any other Espada. Everyone knows how much cats like lounging around in the comfiest spot around. Grimmjow turned his eyes to Nnoitra. He counted the sake bottles at his feet. He counted twelve, so either he was too drunk to count or Nnoitra was in the zone where he got relatively bright ideas. It could be either one of the two, but he actually didn't care.

"As much as any other person… Why do you ask?" Grimmjow asked, slurring only slightly. It was a strange thing that when he got drunk, really drunk, he was actually faster and more agile than when he was sober, but he lost control of his "emotional" side and would probably end up sobbing in Halibel's lap. He glanced at the jug of sake in his hand. Maybe this was enough for tonight…

"A woman's place is under men! It is downright wrong to have a woman higher up in the chain of command! All they should be doing is cooking, doing the laundry, making babies, cooking, fulfilling our wild sexual fantasies, doing the laundry, keeping up their physique, cooking, knitting sweaters, fixing the damn sink that has been driving me crazy every freaking night for the past –" He was interrupted by a half empty jug of sake colliding with his face. It didn't hurt him one bit, but he did stop his ranting and looked over to Grimmjow.

"Did you have a point or not!?" Grimmjow shouted while struggling to get up from the chair that had almost swallowed him whole. He liked his furniture to be soft and comfy, but this was getting ridiculous. He was able to shout out every single profanity he knew before getting up from the chair. He blasted the rebellious piece of furniture with a cero and felt a little better. He thought of turning the cero on Nnoitra when he saw the smirk on his face.

"I'm sure that the chair did a terrible personal wrong to you. It's either that or you were a little more intimate with that chair than you care to admit." Nnoitra exploded into laughter and rolled out into the floor covered with a thick and sinking blue carpet. Nnoitra was definitely in the zone he had good ideas. There was no way that a sober Nnoitra would have the mental capacity make up a pun like that. Grimmjow walked over to Nnoitra and slapped him with his own zanpakuto, using it like a golf club. He had an urge to call out "fore!" Nnoitra was slammed into a wall.

"Oi! Stop messin' with ma zanpakuto!" Nnoitra shouted while climbing out of the rubble. It was nice to have the old Nnoitra back. Grimmjow threw the oversized axe of a zanpakuto to Nnoitra. He looked like a kid on Christmas Eve when he caught his beloved zanpakuto. And we're not talking about the holiday. Nnoitra had a huge stash of porn and one of his favorite "actresses" was a girl named Eve Christmas. This made Grimmjow's mind to come to a screeching halt. He had a feeling that that trail of thought would have led to some disturbing images of Nnoitra and his zanpakuto.

"So what exactly was your bright idea then?" Grimmjow asked. Nnoitra slung his zanpakuto on his shoulder and stared at him with a blank stare.

"Huh?" Nnoitra said and scratched his balls. "Oh, I just thought that we should do something about it. Piss her off for one. We should find out what she hates and then act on it." Nnoitra said. He had returned to being the unnaturally intelligent Nnoitra. Same couldn't be said about Grimmjow.

"Act on it? What does that mean?" Grimmjow asked. He suddenly lost his balance and fell face first on his soft carpet. It didn't hurt a bit, he actually felt like sleeping. The carpet felt all warm and comfy. He started curling up into a more comfortable position when Nnoitra slapped him with his zanpakuto. Grimmjow crashed through a couple of walls and ended up in one of his underling's room. He had enrolled her because of her mean left hook and amazing rack. She was quite good with a sword as well. He still had to pay Nnoitra back from that little slap, so this was actually kind of lucky. Nnoitra was obsessed with busty women.

"So, as I was saying before you started to sleep: We should find out what Halibel hates and then act on it. So, if she hates cats, then we go out to the living world and catch enough stray cats to fill her domain." Grimmjow heard Nnoitra making his way through the rubble. He couldn't use Sonido when he was drunk. He jumped up on his feet and pointed a finger towards her underling. She was standing on her bed and had her hand on her zanpakuto. She was wearing a pair of strawberry pink pajamas that were way too tight for her chest.

"You! Take your clothes off!" She looked at him like he said something totally inappropriate considering the situation.

"Shouldn't we be focusing on the enemy right now?" She hissed at him. Grimmjow gave her a threatening look. She flinched back.

"NOW!" Grimmjow growled back. The subordinate (He never did catch her name) started taking off her clothes immediately. It was nice seeing that he still had some authority around here. Nnoitra stumbled through the hole in the wall.

"So, are you in…?" Nnoitra knew that Grimmjow would most definitely try and get some comeback, but his natural instincts forced his eye to turn towards the naked girl on the bed. She was blushing furiously and that made it even more impossible for him to turn his eye away. He could hear the cero flying towards his face, but he was too busy trying to memorize every single detail of what he saw to care. When the cero did hit and he was flying through the wall he still thought it was worth it. Damn, where did Grimmjow find that girl?

"Yeah, I'm in, but where are we going to find out what Halibel hates most?" Grimmjow said and blew out the smoke coming of his hand. He walked over to Nnoitra and helped him out from under the rubble. They were even now, more or less and Nnoitra was still too caught up in Grimmjow's underling's naked body to count score.

"Huh? What? Who was that girl just now, the one with the rack to triumph over Halibel?" Nnoitra asked with a distant voice. He was apparently still going through it in his head. The drool dripping out of his mouth was a dead giveaway.

"What girl? I have no idea what you're talking about. You just kind of zoned out in there and I took the shot." Grimmjow said innocently while he was shooing the girl away with the hand behind his back. The girl grabbed her pajamas and sonido-ed out. Nnoitra looked at Grimmjow suspiciously for a second and then looked at the hole in the wall. He shrugged. Hallucination or not, it was a hell of a sight.

"How should I know? Guess we'll have to ask someone. Let's just grab some female Arrancar and force the answer out of her. They all know each other's secrets you know, they don't have anything else to do than gossip in here." Nnoitra said with the unnatural intelligence still lacing his voice. God, he was annoying like this! It should subside soon though.

"Sounds like a plan! Let's go!" Grimmjow shouted enthusiastically and sonido-ed out somewhere. Nnoitra couldn't use sonido when he was drunk without slamming through walls, so he didn't even try to follow Grimmjow. He would be back eventually. Probably with a random female Arrancar he picked up.

When Grimmjow wasn't back in thirty seconds Nnoitra got bored of waiting and walked through the hole in the wall and into the room where he had seen the busty hallucination. He looked around for something to kill time with and his eyes landed on a dresser. A simple dresser made out of the same white stone as anything else in Las Noches. He walked over to it and set his zanpakuto against the wall. He pulled the top drawer open and saw small neat bundles of white cloth. He picked one up and stretched it out with his hands. Panties? So it wasn't a hallucination…

Where does she keep her bra? Nnoitra closed the top drawer and opened the one below it. He saw neatly folded white tank tops. An image of the busty little hallucination wearing only the white panties and a tank top flashed into his mind. He wiped the drool out of his lips and opened the third drawer. Folded shorts folded to save space. A tank top, shorts… just add a pony tail, a sweat band and a tennis racket and you have the hottest tennis player in Hueco Mundo. Well, this does explain the tennis court Grimmjow built a couple weeks back. Nnoitra, and probably any other male Arrancar in Hueco Mundo, would pay to see this girl play. And the fact he hadn't found any bras yet meant that Grimmjow could charge whatever he wanted and would still get plenty of customers. With the right marketing, this girl would be a gold mine! Plus, she's a neat freak by the looks of it.

"What ya doin' there, Nnoitra?" Grimmjow's voice growled from behind Nnoitra. Nnoitra slammed the drawer shut and grabbed his zanpakuto. He turned to face Grimmjow. Grimmjow was standing on the pile of rubble with his arms across his chest. Nnoitra was surprised to notice that he didn't actually look that angry. Actually he looked… hyped up. His right foot was constantly tapping on a piece of rubble and his eyes darted around the room, like he was unable to concentrate on something for any more than two seconds. Was Grimmjow always like this when he got drunk? Nnoitra had no recollection of the times they drank together, so it could as well be.

"Well, did you find out what Halibel hates most?" Nnoitra asked and closed the dresser drawer with his zanpakuto. He was obviously avoiding the question, but Grimmjow's hyped up mind had already forgotten it. Grimmjow jumped on Nnoitra's chest like a cat and started shouting at his face.

"I did! I did! I'm going to tell you what I found out! I swear I am! Why would I lie? How do you dare to suspect me?! I'm going to tell you no matter what! Don't you dare stop me! You can't stop me! I'm the super kitty!" Grimmjow dropped down from Nnoitra's chest a split second before he was about to throw him off. Grimmjow was definitely faster when he was drunk. Grimmjow ran around the room, shouting that he was the ultimate ruler of everything fluffy and cuddly. Nnoitra slapped Grimmjow on the head as hard as he could to snap the poor bastard out of it.

"Seriously, what are you on? I'm only asking so that I could stay away from the stuff." Nnoitra asked while helping the normalized Grimmjow up. Grimmjow gave him a threatening look and Nnoitra decided to never mention this incident again. He was faster and stronger than Grimmjow, but Grimmjow would definitely find a way to make him pay if he ever mentioned this to anyone.

"Yeah, it looks like Halibel hates anything overly girly." Grimmjow said and rubbed the forming bruise in the back of his head. Nnoitra raised an eyebrow. "You know: kittens, pink, tiaras, beauty pageants, all sickeningly cute stuff. I suggest we flood her domain with pink kittens wearing sparkly tiaras!" Grimmjow suddenly chirped.

Nnoitra raised his zanpakuto for another reality check. Grimmjow stepped back and raised his hands to stop Nnoitra.

"Don't hit me, I'm sane again. I swear I'm not going to say anything like that anymore! I hope…" Nnoitra lowered his zanpakuto and they walked out of Grimmjow's subordinate's room. They decided to use the door for a change of pace. They started walking down the hall. Las Noches was so big that they could start going any way and get to where they were going in the same time anyways. So, where were they going to find something excessively cute? Something that was somewhat contraband in Las Noches. Did Las Noches have a place where the strangest of things eventually ended up? Stupid question really.

"Do you think Szayel is in his domain right now?" Grimmjow asked and took a left. Nnoitra spun his zanpakuto around while he tried to remember if he heard anything. Grimmjow dodged by reflex when Nnoitra's hand slipped from time to time.

"Nah, I think I heard someone say that he's off in Hueco Mundo or the real world, trying to find some more research material. His fraccion are too stupid to actually watch over his lab. Getting in there will be a snap." Nnoitra's hand slipped and he managed hit himself with his own zanpakuto. He picked up his zanpakuto while shooting menacing looks over to Grimmjow. In Grimmjow's book they were even if he was never to mention this little incident and Nnoitra didn't mention his little psychosis back there. They kept on walking towards Szayel's domain in silence.

"Nothing happened." Nnoitra said after ten minutes of awkward silence.

"I agree." Grimmjow simply answered. He had actually forgotten what didn't happen, but it didn't hurt to agree with Nnoitra. His squirrel felt like a mind on an exercise wheel… Wait, that wasn't quite right… Oh, a shiny doorknob!

His thoughts were knocked back into their usual aggressive paths by Nnoitra's zanpakuto. He "woke up" with his tongue wrapped around a silver doorknob.

"Nuffing haffened?" Grimmjow muffled out while trying to untangle his tongue.

"I have an idea why you're so popular with ladies now, but yeah: This never happened." Nnoitra said when Grimmjow stepped away from the doorknob. Grimmjow started walking again and after wondering whose doorknob Grimmjow just licked Nnoitra followed. Grimmjow kept his wandering eyes on the floor, tried to at least. Lucky for him, there weren't any other shiny objects in their path to Szayel's lab that he might feel the urge to lick. Why would he be drawn to lick shiny things in the first place? It didn't make any sense…

Nnoitra was grateful for the thoughtful silence that Grimmjow had fallen in after the incident with the doorknob. He was forced to steer him away from walls time to time, but the silence was still better than his annoying hyper-activity. Would he have ever had a drink with Grimmjow if he would have known about this? Probably, the only thing he remembered from his drinking sessions with Grimmjow where that it had been fun. Well, this was weird and mildly disturbing, but still fun.

They arrived at the entrance to Szayel's lab and Nnoitra slapped Grimmjow on the head to wake him up from his thoughts. Grimmjow crashed face down on the ground. He shot up and had a cero charged in his hand before realizing where they were. He extinguished the cero and nodded Nnoitra a thank you before walking up to the doors and pushing them open. There was a series of loud screeching and crashing noises and the doors bent out of shape and fell on Grimmjow. A mystery piano fell on top of the mountain of rubble already on top of Grimmjow. Nnoitra heard Grimmjow groan under the rubble.

"Those doors opened _out, _you know…" Nnoitra said while calmly watching Grimmjow climb out from under the remnants of the massive doors and the ceiling piano. He didn't even think about helping him. It was much more fun to watch him climb out in his own. Grimmjow probably wouldn't have accepted any help in the first place. Grimmjow dusted himself off with a sour look on his face.

"Let's go already!" Grimmjow growled and walked through the doorway. Nnoitra followed, chuckling quietly. Right now, Grimmjow was fast enough to beat him to a pulp, but he was also drunk as skunk, so it never occurred to him. Nnoitra didn't actually feel like remembering him of that fact and stopped laughing. They walked past several of Szayel's scientific equipment. They were freaky and gruesome when they were active, but they were just plain creepy when they were shut off in a silent and dark lab.

They eventually arrived at an especially shiny door. Nnoitra noticed that Grimmjow had a disturbing glint in his eyes and that he was drooling. He knocked him over the head with his elbow to keep him from slobbering over the door. Nnoitra walked over to the door while Grimmjow climbed out of the wall he had been slammed into by Nnoitra's reality check. Nnoitra kicked it open and walked in. His eye widened from shock.

They were pink, they were wearing tiaras and they were… kittens? Dozens and dozens of kittens playing around with some of Szayel's fraccion. The fraccion looked absolutely terrified with the kittens rolling around their feet and playing with balls of yarn. Nnoitra watched with his jaw agape. Szayel actually had pink kittens wearing sparkly tiaras? Why would he make something like that in the first place? What possible meaning could there be for pink kittens?

"Yay! Pink kittens!" Grimmjow screamed and hopped past Nnoitra. Nnoitra was too dumbfounded to try and knock him back into his senses, so Grimmjow kept on hopping… and hopping… and hopping

Grimmjow must have been hopping for five minutes and he was only halfway to the kittens. And he looked as small as a doll of some sort. Still the kittens were the same size, but now that Nnoitra had Grimmjow for perspective he could make out the distance between him and the kittens, the twelve-foot tall kittens. Damn his one eyed ness! The loss of depth perception came back to bite him in the ass once again.

Well, at least making 12-foot tall kittens with sharp sparkly tiaras made more sense than making normal sized kittens with tiaras. Szayel's shaky sanity hadn't completely crumbled just yet.

Just then Grimmjow reached one of the kittens and gave it a great big hug. Well, it's paw actually, but still Nnoitra could see that Grimmjow's mind hadn't grasped the idea that the "cute little kitten" could tear him in half with one swoop of its claws.

Grimmjow might not have figured it out, but the kitten was well aware. It smacked Grimmjow away and then brought its other furry paw up to slice him in half. Nnoitra saw how Grimmjow shook his head and was able to draw his zanpakuto in time to stop the kitten's claws from slicing him in half. Grimmjow was shot into the air by the force of the blow.

Grimmjow crashed next to where Nnoitra was standing. He sheathed his zanpakuto and groaned.

"Welcome back. Was it worth it?" Nnoitra asked while tentatively watching the kitten. It was looking right at them. It looked hungry.

"Shut the hell up, Nnoitra! I swear I'm not going to even touch alcohol after this…" Grimmjow pushed himself out of the wall he was impeded in. He sure went through a lot of walls lately. He walked next to Nnoitra. He noticed that he was watching the kitten that had hit him just a minute ago. It was running towards them. It was fast and strong. Szayel had an incredibly warped mind, but at least he was a genius to make up for it.

"How far is it? Should we start running already?" Nnoitra asked. Grimmjow was reminded about his lack of depth perception in the worst way possible.

"RUN!!" Grimmjow screamed and jumped through the wall. Nnoitra slashed through the wall with his zanpakuto and followed Grimmjow's lead. Every time he was about to trip and fall he used his oversized zanpakuto to stabilize himself. This wasn't the first time he was drunk or just dizzy for some other reason. He was able to keep up with Grimmjow, just barely, but still. Alcohol really made him like a freaking squirrel on meth, both in the good and the bad.

There was an enormous crash from behind them and when Grimmjow glanced over his shoulder he saw that the pink kitten had used its tiara to force itself through the wall. So, there was even a reason for the tiara. Were these things supposed to attack Soul Society, lull them into false sense of security with their cuteness and then rip them all to shreds? These things were strong, fast and incredibly cute. It could work on the female shinigami, but what about someone like Zaraki Kenpachi, or Kuchiki Byakuya?

"_**MEEOOWW!" **_The cute monster hollered out and started running towards them. It was actually starting to gain up on them. This thing might have been the cutest thing in the whole of Hueco Mundo from afar, but from up close your eyes were drawn to the bloodied fangs and curved claws reaching for you. Yeah, this was definitely Szayel's handiwork.

Grimmjow took a sudden right and Nnoitra was forced to slam his zanpakuto on the corner and use it to stop himself from skidding to the opposite wall.

"How about giving me a heads up before doing something like that again?!" Nnoitra screamed while dodging the kittens paw. He caught up to Grimmjow while the kitten rolled into the opposite wall, like he would have without his zanpakuto.

"We're going to Halibel's domain! That thing is exactly what we wanted!" Grimmjow shouted and took a left. Nnoitra had to use his zanpakuto again to swing himself in the right direction. Now that he knew where they were going he could prepare for the turns and thus lessen the chance of being impaled by the gigantic pink kitten. God, this whole situation was absolutely crazy! They were running away from a gigantic pink kitten in a sparkly tiara for god's sakes!

They both ran without saying a word for about ten minutes. At last they saw the door to Halibel's domain out in the distance. The kitten was huffing and puffing behind them like an old steam engine. They might be fast and strong, but they were lacking in terms of stamina.

Grimmjow and Nnoitra both slammed against the double doors leading into Halibel's domain. This time they actually opened inwards and they skid along the marble floors in Halibel's domain's entrance. Nnoitra slammed his zanpakuto on the floor behind him and spun around to face the psychopathic feline, no, not Grimmjow, the pink kitten. Grimmjow jumped up in the air and then landed fluidly on his feet next to Nnoitra.

The pink kitten skidded to stop on the slippery white marble and left deep claw marks behind. It huffed and puffed and its eyes darted between Nnoitra and Grimmjow. Its eyes suddenly rolled over and it collapsed on the ground. The tremor made Nnoitra fall down on the floor, but didn't actually affect Grimmjow. Seriously, like a squirrel on meth.

"So… We tired it out?" Grimmjow said. For something that wasn't an Arrancar, running halfway across Las Noches was impressive. Now what were they going to do with this? They were able to get it to Halibel's domain, so should they just leave it there?

"What do you think you're doing?" A cold female voice hissed from behind Grimmjow and Nnoitra. Speak of the devil… So, Halibel was home…

They were so major fucked…

"Well, this thing chased us here from Szayel's lab. We didn't have much of choice other than tire… it… out…" Nnoitra's voice gradually turned into a mumble and then died down completely under Halibel's cold gaze. He felt like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar… Except that there was a promise of impending death in the eyes of the "mom" in this metaphor. Grimmjow didn't seem too phased by the ominous atmosphere. Actually he seemed completely ignorant of Halibel's presence. His eyes were fixated on the decorative carvings on the walls and the columns supporting the roof. He had a dreamy glint in his eyes and it was obvious he didn't even know about the other people in the room, or what was going on.

Halibel was about to say something when Grimmjow suddenly raised his right hand and pointed to a point on the wall behind Halibel. Halibel must have thought Grimmjow was about to use a cero, so she jumped out of the way of his finger and landed within striking distance of him.

"It's unfinished, Halibel-san… And so sad…" Grimmjow said in a low voice heavily laced with emotion. Halibel stopped her fist inches from Grimmjow's head. Nnoitra noticed that her eyes had widened from shock. Had the demented Grimmjow hit a sore point?

"What… did you just say, Grimmjow?" Halibel said in a somewhat shaky voice. For Grimmjow, the aggressive warmonger, to give an honest and somewhat deep opinion on her art was absolutely crazy. Only time he got even remotely like this was when he was… She leaned a little closer to Grimmjow and smelled his breath.

"You have been drinking again! Seriously, can't you find some more constructive ways to spend your time? Train, or beat each other up, if there even is a difference, but could you please stop overdosing on sake and bringing stuff like…" Halibel turned her eyes to the gigantic pink kitten wearing a sparkly tiara for the first time. She blinked slowly, then rubbed her eyes and blinked again.

"Is that a twelve-foot tall pink kitten with a sparkly tiara on its head? Seriously, how much have you had tonight?" Halibel turned to Nnoitra when Grimmjow wandered over to a carved pillar and stared at it intently. She actually didn't hate Grimmjow when he was like this; he was actually kind of cute with the harmless little hyperactive squirrel act.

Nnoitra was about to give a totally undersized estimate of the jars of sake they had drunk when the kitten suddenly started bleeping. Both Halibel and Nnoitra turned to the kitten and saw that there was a bright red light blinking on the tiara. The bleeping intensified and there was a high pitched sound, like a flash from one of those cameras from the living world charging up.

There was a squishy sounding "pop!" and the world was filled with pink, pink goo to be exact. Nnoitra had raised the blade of his zanpakuto to cover his face from the goo by reflex, but Halibel wasn't as lucky. She was still shocked by the fact that there was a gigantic pink kitten in the entrance hall to her domain to react fast enough. She was covered from head to toe in bright pink goo.

Nnoitra made the biggest mistake he could do in that situation: He laughed. Halibel wiped the goo of her face with one hand. She turned to Nnoitra and cracked her knuckles.

**30 minutes later:**

"What is the meaning of this meaningless noise?" Ulquiorra asked. Seemingly he didn't notice the pure irony in his statement, but neither did anyone else for that matter. Halibel was too busy beating Nnoitra to a bloody pulp while scolding Grimmjow. Somehow she just didn't have the heart to hit Grimmjow when he was like that. He reminded her of a hyperactive kid and it was probably her dormant maternal instinct that made her go soft on him. Grimmjow had actually said "Damn, the pretty pictures went bye-bye…" when the kitten exploded into pink goo and covered the whole hall in it. How was she supposed to stay mad at him after that? She turned her head towards the door and saw Ulquiorra hovering over the thick layer of pink goo on the floor.

"Oh! Hi, Ulquiorra. Can you guess why I'm beating Nnoitra to a bloody pulp?" Halibel said and slammed Nnoitra's head against the marble floor again. Ulquiorra heard Nnoitra's muffled groan. He took a glance at his surroundings and his eyes paused briefly on Grimmjow, who was happily making a pink goo man in the corner. So, he had been drinking again…

"I'll have to conclude that it has something to do with this brightly colored pudding-like excrement that covers your entrance hall. How could they make this happen?" Ulquiorra's usually cold and deadpan voice sounded genuinely interested. The situation in itself was extremely puzzling, but something in his tone seemed rehearsed. Halibel took a step to the side and saw Inoue Orihime standing at the edge of the pink goo, seemingly trying to decide if it was worth to dirty her white dress. Couldn't Ulquiorra leave her unattended for the while it took for him to check out the noise coming from her domain? Well, probably not, with people like Loly and Melony lurking around.

"These guys found a twelve-foot tall pink kitten wearing a tiara somewhere and decided to bring it here. The kitten's tiara started bleeping and the kitten exploded into the pink goo you see around you." Halibel said in a calm voice. He let go of Nnoitra's hair and let him sink into the pink goo covering the floor. If he would happen to suffocate he would have definitely deserved it.

"What? What about kittens? Where are the kittens? Does Halibel-san have kittens? I didn't know you had a cat, Halibel-san. Or did you get the cat from the real world, bring it here, raise it in secret, then it suddenly had kittens and you're stuck with them and now you're trying to get Ulquiorra-san to adopt some of them? I would love to have a kitten if you could spare one. Hey, Ulquiorra, can I have a kitten?" Orihime babbled on. Ulquiorra was too surprised that she had been able to get right next to him without him noticing and Halibel just wasn't sure if it was okay to stop her. When Orihime stopped to catch her breath Ulquiorra was kind enough to stop her trail of though right there, before she noticed Grimmjow in the corner and made some assumptions.

"No, Halibel doesn't have kittens and she is definitely not trying to sell me any. As far as I understand, there was just one twelve-foot tall pink kitten with a tiara that ended up exploding and covering Halibel's entrance hall in pink goo." Ulquiorra explained, hoping that she would not start asking questions. Orihime's eyes glazed over and her mouth opened up while she looked out into the distance. She was seemingly trying to picture the kitten in her mind.

"Wow… A gigantic kitten… Can I have one? Pleeeaaaase?" Orihime said and stared at them pleadingly. She looked at both Ulquiorra and Halibel in turn.

Ulquiorra and Halibel glanced at each other and then said "No!" in unison. Aizen really wouldn't approve of a gigantic exploding kitten to be in the same room with his future pride. Ulquiorra wasn't too fond of the idea either. It would be even more bothersome for him.

A slob of the pink goo hit the back of his head and caused him to lose his balance in the air and fall face first into the goo on the floor.

"Goo fight! YAY!" Grimmjow screamed happily and aimed another slob of pink goo at Halibel. Halibel raised her right hand and used a miniature cero to crystallize and deflect the goo back towards Grimmjow's face. The pink glass-like projectile hit Grimmjow's forehead and he fell on his back. There was a big "Splat!" when he fell into the goo.

"You'll have to excuse him; he gets like that when he's drunk." Halibel said politely to Orihime. Surprisingly, she didn't have to force the laughter into her usually cold eyes. The whole situation was ridiculous in the first place and the sight of Ulquiorra getting up, covered in hot pink goo made her want to laugh out loud. Orihime didn't have Halibel's self-control and she started to giggle uncontrollably.

Ulquiorra gave her a cold murderous look and Halibel could swear that she heard his teeth gritting against each other. The pink goo covering his face was a convenient mask to hide his face; because Halibel was almost sure that he had a couple of veins popping out on his forehead. It was just too much.

Halibel even surprised herself by starting to giggle along with Orihime. Ulquiorra watched as the two _girls _in front of him doubled over from laughter and then leaned on each other for support.

"This is not amusing. There could be all kinds of contaminants in this excrement." Ulquiorra said, with his voice dripping with murderous intent. Orihime and Halibel just looked at his serious face covered in pink goo and laughed even harder. Ulquiorra wiped the goo off his face hastily and turned to where Grimmjow was. He walked over to Grimmjow and charged a cero at the tip if his index finger.

Halibel's elbow collided with the side of his face and he landed back in the pink goo. He looked up to Halibel in surprise.

"This is my domain. If you want to fight, then you'll have to take it outside. I'll have to warn you though; Grimmjow is way faster than you in the state he's in right now." Halibel said in her usual cold tone. Ulquiorra glanced over to Grimmjow's unconscious body. He had heard about this unique side-effect and didn't question its authenticity. Ulquiorra stood up slowly and wiped the pink goo off his face, again. The fight with Grimmjow could wait. He turned around and started walking towards the door.

"Please escort the woman back to her quarters, Halibel." Ulquiorra said in an icy tone. He gave Orihime a murderous glance. She was still giggling like crazy, but now that she didn't have Halibel for support she was lying in the pink goo. She looked like she didn't notice. Tears were rolling down from her eyes and her stomach was cramping so much that she had to curl up. If he couldn't hear her laughing, Ulquiorra would think that Orihime was in extreme pain.

"Emotions…" Ulquiorra muttered. He walked past the threshold to Halibel's domain and then used sonido to get to his own domain faster. He really needed a change of clothes. Ulquiorra's hand stopped in mid movement when he was reaching for the door to his closet. Where did Grimmjow and Nnoitra get the sake in the first place? Alcohol was somewhat of contraband in Las Noches.

**Somewhere deeper in Las Noches:**

"Oh, it seems like the fun is over…" Ichimaru Gin sighed and leaned back from the surveillance screen. There were not that many things to relieve his boredom in Las Noches, so watching the drunken antics of the Espada was as close it got to a comedy show in here. There was just that hindrance that most of them didn't drink and the ones that did, couldn't get their hands on any sake.

So, he decided to lend a helping hand. A dozen of jars filled with sake in the right hands meant a fun couple of hours for him later on. Ichimaru Gin got up from the chair he had been sitting on and stretched his back.

Now that that was over, what was he supposed to do?

A/N- I did not actually write this. This was written by my very talented friend Crazy laughter (because I stink at writing humor). The next real chapter will be posted next Friday, so please stay tuned.


	10. Chapter 8

A/N- Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

**Chapter 8**

**Dresses of White, the Truth Appears to Ulquiorra**

"_Abigail," Ulquiorra whispered against her lips. Both of their eyes shot open. Orihime jerked away from him, staring in horror. He, for his part, looked just as shocked as she did. _

_He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but closed it again. What could he say?_

_She backed up slowly into her room and slammed the door on the still-shocked Ulquiorra. She leaned against the door, breathing hard. Grimmjow had called her Abby, Ulquiorra had called her Abigail. __**Who is she? More importantly, who am I?**_

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_Later, in Ulquiorra's room…_

"Let me get this straight. _You_ kissed _her_?" Grimmjow asked incredulously.

"Yes. Is it _that_hard to believe?" Ulquiorra asked in slight annoyance.

Grimmjow burst out laughing. "I always suspected you were a pervert under that emo clown mask."

Ulquiorra glared. "I am not a pervert. We kissed, that is all."

"Yeah," Grimmjow chuckled," but she's _her_. I have to say, you've got good tastes."

Ulquiorra refused to respond to that.

"Whatever," Grimmjow said," So what happened afterwards?"

"She slammed the door on me."

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. "Why? Did you try to feel her up?"

If looks could kill, Grimmjow would have dropped dead.

"I called her Abigail," Ulquiorra explained with forced patience.

"Oh. That makes sense then," Grimmjow nodded. He placed a hand on his head. "This is so confusing."

Ulquiorra nodded in agreement.

A sharp knock to the door pulled them out of their brooding.

"Enter," Ulquiorra called impassively, masking his emotions with practiced ease.

Halibel entered the room and surveyed the scene before her.

"Why are you two together?" she asked suspiciously.

Grimmjow panicked slightly. It would be really bad if someone found out what was going on, especially since they didn't really know either.

"It seems this idiot feels the need to constantly challenge me to a fight, even though he knows there is no chance of him winning," Ulquiorra lied smoothly.

"Shut up," Grimmjow fumed, playing along.

Halibel raised an eyebrow at Grimmjow. "How immature."

"Shut up I said!" Grimmjow yelled.

"This is convenient for me, actually. I needed to fetch both of you," Halibel informed them.

"Fetch us for what?" Ulquiorra inquired.

"The girl will be trying on wedding dresses, and Lord Aizen feels her friends should be with her. That includes you two."

"That sounds like a girl thing," Grimmjow whined," Why would she want guys to watch her try on clothes?"

Halibel glared icily. "Because you are her friends too," she said curtly.

"When should we be there?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I'm going to get the dresses I got from the real world, so meet me at her room in a few minutes."

Ulquiorra nodded. Halibel disappeared in flash without as much as a goodbye.

Grimmjow smirked. "Congrats Ulquiorra. You get to watch your little girlfriend change."

"Disgusting. And for that matter, she is not my girlfriend. She is Lord Aizen's fiancée."

"Forbidden love, how adorable," Grimmjow mocked.

"Adorable doesn't exist in Hueco Mundo."

"Damn straight, brother."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Orihime couldn't stop fretting about what had happened with Ulquiorra. Putting aside the fact that she had kissed him while she was engaged to his king; something was definitely going on with him and Grimmjow. _Maybe it has something to do with why they both started acting nice to me all of the sudden. I need to confront them about this next time I see both of them._ She sighed. When would she see both of them together again?

Just as she was thinking this a soft knock came to her door.

"I'm coming in," Halibel's smooth voice came through the door. Orihime smiled as her beautiful blonde friend came in her room, carrying one or two wedding dresses.

"Wow," Orihime gushed," They're gorgeous!"

Halibel rolled her eyes. "You haven't seen anything yet." Just as she said that, Ulquiorra and Grimmjow came in, each carrying at least ten dresses. Grimmjow glared at Halibel.

"You could have helped out more, you know," Grimmjow said angrily as he and Ulquiorra set down the dresses on her couch.

Halibel looked at him with disinterest. "Did you say something, Number Six?"

A low growl slipped out of his throat. A sharp jab in the ribs from Ulquiorra brought to the reality that it was a fight he couldn't win. He grunted and started seething.

Halibel turned her attention back to Orihime, who had been thoroughly distracted by the extravagant gowns that were before her, ignoring the bickering Espada completely. She ran her fingers over the silky fabric in awe. This would have cost thousands of dollars, had anybody paid for it.

Orihime was surprised to see Ulquiorra and Grimmjow together so quickly. Unfortunately, she couldn't talk to them about this while Halibel was here. While she didn't like the idea of hiding things from her friend, she had a feeling Ulquiorra might get in trouble if people found out they had kissed. Grimmjow seemed to know judging by the looks he was giving the two of them. Did Ulquiorra tell him? She couldn't ask while Halibel was here.

"How absent-minded of me," Halibel said," I forgot the veils. I'll go get them."

She flashed out of room. Orihime blinked in surprise. That worked out well. Now she was alone with the conspirators. She sent them both a suspicious glare, and she noticed they both averted their eyes to look at something else.

She started singing under her breath a song she heard a long time ago and had forgotten until just now.

"_Abigail don't get me down  
Keep my feet upon the ground  
Keep my head out of the clouds tonight  
Let the room go spinning round."_

Both men flinched at the name. Bingo.

"Who is Abigail?" she demanded. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"She is a former Espada," Ulquiorra lied smoothly," She looked a lot like you."

Orihime wasn't satisfied. Looking like a former Espada wouldn't make them be nicer to her. And from the guilty look Grimmjow was wearing, she came to the conclusion that Ulquiorra had lied. Now the questions remained, _Who is she? Why are they going to such lengths to hide this from me?_

"Oh. That makes sense then," she said sweetly, smiling. Three could play at the lying game. "Maybe I'll ask Halibel about her."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly in a rare moment of panic. He needed to think quickly. "Abigail was out of the Espada before Halibel joined," he said calmly, forcing his face back into a carefully composed mask.

"Too bad," Orihime said in a sugary voice, still playing the girl who believed everything they told her.

At that moment Halibel flashed back in, carrying several vintage lace veils. Orihime was truly distracted by the quality and design. Curse her short intention span.

"These are so beautiful. Were they designed by Abigail Lorick?" she asked innocently.

Both men in the room winced at the name. _As I thought. Something is definitely going on here._

"Maybe," Halibel said vaguely, not understanding why is would matter. Maybe it was a human thing. "Would you like to start trying them on?" she asked.

Orihime nodded. She cast a worried look towards Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. "Is there… somewhere else I can change?" she asked shyly.

"Why?" Halibel asked, genuinely confused. Orihime blushed.

"Well… Ulquiorra and Grimmjow are here… and I don't want them to see me… change," Orihime stuttered. Halibel didn't seem convinced.

"Why would it matter? I've seen these two naked before, and vise-versa. They won't _do _anything to you, so why does it concern you?" Halibel pressed, unaware of how flushed and uncomfortable Orihime looked.

"Halibel," Ulquiorra started bluntly," Humans consider nudity in front of the opposite sex to be embarrassing." Orihime felt like her face was on fire.

"When did you learn so much about human emotions, Ulquiorra?" Halibel asked sharply.

"When Lord Aizen assigned me to be her guardian," Ulquiorra answered uncaringly.

Orihime cleared her throat softly.

"Very well," Halibel relented," If it makes you more comfortable, Orihime, I'll get you a screen to change behind."

Orihime smiled," Thank you so much, Halibel." Halibel nodded back before sonido-ing out.

_Alone with the conspirators, _Orihime thought dryly.

"So," Grimmjow started awkwardly, hoping for conversation to fill the tense silence.

"How are you, Orihime?" Ulquiorra asked, testing out the human tactic of "small talk". It seemed like a waste of time to him, but apparently humans enjoyed it.

"Alright," she said, smiling cheerfully again.

"Are you excited to get married?" Ulquiorra asked uncomfortably, not use to being the on trying to instigate conversation.

"Of course," she lied slightly. While it was true that Aizen was different than she had originally thought, the fact remained that she didn't love him.

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed. "You're lying," he accused.

Orihime looked shocked. "How would you know?" she demanded.

"My eye sees everything," he said simply," Nothing can escape it." _Plus, you wouldn't have kissed me back had that been the case, _he added in his mind.

"Apparently not," she shot back hotly," since you couldn't see who was hidden last night."

"You're right," he agreed calmly," I should have. Whoever it was must have an incredible ability to hide themself."

Orihime had no argument left. How where you supposed argue with someone who agreed with you?

Grimmjow watched the two with interest. If he hadn't seen it for himself, he never would've believed that Ulquiorra could actually like someone, a human no less. As strange as it was, Grimmjow couldn't deny that it felt right to see these to together, like they were two pieces of a puzzle made to fit together. Or maybe he was just excited to see Aizen get his girl stolen by his number one loyal dog. Grimmjow grinned wickedly. Maybe he would these two a helping hand.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Unbeknownst to everyone in Orihime's room, someone was watching them. This person had been for quite a while now, waiting for an opportunity to set their plan into action. _It's unfortunate that Grimmjow is with them,_ the spy thought sadly. Grimmjow had his own role in their plan, but he was impossible to control, making him hard to use. But the spy would find a way around that.

Time was running out. The wedding would be in a few days, and the girl's friends wouldn't be far behind. Both these things would be a problem. _Her friends can always be taken out of the picture… _The spy shook these thoughts off. The spy was not a murder. They would find a way to work around the human's friends.

No one had noticed the spy yet. Just as an experiment they let a sliver of their spiritual pressure out of their tight control. The spy watched Ulquiorra tense slightly from their position in the air vent. As the spy had thought, Ulquiorra had far superior detection skills. A small problem, but the spy would find a way around it. Maybe it would even be helpful.

_Orihime…__ may have to die, _the spy thought in disappointment. The spy hoped it wouldn't come to that. But the spy had a promise they had to fulfill, and they'd be damned if they failed _again_.

Without a sound, the spy slipped away.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Orihime slid out of another one of the designer dresses. This was a lot harder than she had thought it would be. All the dresses were beautiful, but none felt right. The right wedding dress should feel like it was made especially for you. She sighed in frustration.

"Can I have the next one?" Orihime called from behind the changing screen. Halibel handed the next dress over to the young girl. It was made of fine white silk, with a diamond-studded sash wrapped around the waist. Its skirt was a lot less puffy than the others she had tried on. Its bodice was an embroidered, thin-strapped corset, but it has sewn-on sleeves in a sheer white. It was sexy, classy, and unbelievable beautiful.

She slid it over her shoulders and laced herself up. It clung to her in all the right places, as if tailored for her body perfectly. This was _the_ dress, no doubt about it. She walked slowly, carefully, and waited for her friends' reaction.

Halibel's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the human girl. Her feminine instincts, which had long been ignored, where arising with a surprising amount of force. Her thoughts, which were usually filled with battle strategies and tactics, were suddenly filled with accessories for Orihime and a dress for herself. What is Stark didn't like her dress? Wait… since when did she care what Stark thought of her?

Grimmjow, on the other hand, found himself distracted by the revealing nature of the top of the dress. That's about as far as his train of thought went, indecently.

Of all their reactions, Orihime liked Ulquiorra's the best. To someone who didn't look for a change, they probably wouldn't have seen it. But Orihime could tell his breathing, normally even and rhythmic, was slightly ragged. His eyes no longer were emotionless; they were fierce and dark, not to mention focused solely on her eyes, unlike Grimmjow. She felt her own breathing hitch.

She averted her gaze quickly before her unraveling became too obvious. She turned her attention to Halibel, whose eyes seemed to shine in a different light. The Espada pulled her in the direction of the veils, where they tried different ones on Orihime to see which one would look best with the dress. The orange-haired teen reveled in the feeling of hanging out with a girl friend. It was like getting ready for a school dance, except this was much more important. This was her wedding. But she didn't think about that. Instead she enjoyed the present and didn't think about the future.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Meanwhile, Ulquiorra couldn't take his thoughts off the future. The more time he spent with her, the more he was sure that she was more than she seemed. Seeing her in that dress had brought a burning memory to the surface, a memory of an orange-haired girl in a similar dress. An orange-haired girl named Abigail.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Grimmjow and Ulquiorra left soon after, having quickly gone out of their comfort zone when the girl stuff got serious. Ulquiorra was grimly silent, not that that was anything new, but this one felt a bit different.

"What's up with you?" Grimmjow barked.

Ulquiorra didn't answer for a long time, but when he did his eyes were intense, and his tone fiercer," Come to my room tomorrow morning, first thing. And no matter what happens, don't let Aizen near Orihime."

He spun on his heels and sonido-ed away to his room, leaving a shocked Grimmjow in his wake. Did the 4th Espada actually address their leader with out his 'lord' title? Was Hueco Mundo going to snow tomorrow?

Ulquiorra didn't get a chance to explain. There was no time. He needed to get to sleep, and fast. Orihime was in danger, of that (and little else) he was sure, and he felt an unstoppable drive to protect her. From a harmful marriage she didn't want, to a horrible man she didn't want; the man Ulquiorra used to think of a perfect.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_June 5__th__, 1851_

_Benjamin Walker, a stoic, 13 year old black-haired kid, glanced around the small town in apprehension. The streets were filled with big, muscular men who looked meaner than angry bulls, and just as ugly. He was one of the only children in the entire area, but that suited him fine. He wasn't interested in socializing, only in surviving to the point where he could move away from this madness-filled hell. Whenever he came to town, he had the same thoughts._

"_Ben! Don't space out, idiot!" This came from Benjamin's three month younger (but taller) half-brother, Matthew. The loud blonde youth was Ben's opposite in many ways, and they fought constantly. It was Matt's fault, mostly, as he seemed to enjoy picking fights with Ben._

"_I wasn't spacing out," Ben informed him coldly, his impossibly green eyes harsh._

_Matt snorted, rolling his sky blue eyes. "Sure you weren't. But seriously, let's hurry up. If we don't bring that bastard the stuff he wanted, he'll probably beat us with a belt."_

_Ben raised an eyebrow. "You refer to our father as 'that bastard'?" Not that Ben was surprised. Matt seemed to have a strong disregard for authority figures and their father was no exception. Not that Ben would deny the truth of his brother's statement._

"_Less talking more action," Matt snapped dragging his brother by the wrist, towards their objective. The summer heat was radiating around them, a curse of California. You may be able to strike it rich with gold, as their father hoped to do, but you also ran the risk of baking alive in the summers._

_They finally reached their destination, a general store called Golden Sun, relishing the coolness that came with the shade. They quickly approached the counter, where their sort-of friend, Elizabeth, worked during the mornings. Her father owned the store, and he made her work during the mornings, where it was quieter and business was slower. She smiled at them as they walked in, but neither returned the gesture. Ben rarely smiled anyway, and Matt considered himself too cool to smile at girls in any way that wasn't lewd._

"_What do ya need?" The girl asked them. _

"_For you to stop talking," Matt shot back. Elizabeth stuck out her tongue._

"_We need two sacks of flour and ten pounds of salted meat," Ben informed her, before their childish fight evolved into a fist fight, which had happened before. _

"_You got it," Elizabeth said, walking to the back room to get the food they needed. Matt walked to one of the shelves, where candy and other sweets were stored, grabbing some and shoving it in his mouth._

"_You do know that's called stealing, right?" Ben asked. Matt didn't answer, mostly because his entire mouth was filled with candy. Instead, he flipped his brother off. Matt always had been an 'actions speak louder than words' type of guy. _

_Elizabeth walked in after Matt had swallowed, and both boys where putting forth their most innocent faces. She collected their money and, as usual, gave them a free bag full of candy. They were her only friends, given her appearance. She refused to wear dresses, and was dressed in a red flannel shirt and a pair of blue jeans. Her father had spent years trying to convince her to be more feminine, but when she had stubbornly refused, he made her start working, saying if she wanted to look like a boy, she would work like a boy. That was just fine with her, Ben thought._

_They were heading for the door when Elizabeth called out," Wait!" They spun around to face her._

"_What is it now, woman?" Matt asked irritably. _

_She looked down nervously for a second, then directed her attention toward Ben. "Could you check the alley next to the store? I think I heard someone back there coughing really bad. Sounded pretty young."_

_Ben sighed, then nodded. "Fine, we'll check it out." She smiled brightly in thanks._

_Both boys walked out briskly, heading for the alley. There was in fact someone back there, a small girl from the look of it. Her bright orange hair whipped back and forth as her body violently shook with coughs. Ben winced. It sounded pretty bad. Ben and Matt walked back to where she was crouching in front of her. She didn't seem to notice they were there._

"_Damn. That sounds bad," Matt said bluntly. Ben ignored him and lifted the girl's chin, so they were face to face. Her steel-colored eyes where bloodshot and surrounded by dark circles. Her form was deadly thin from hunger. _

"_What is your name?" Ben asked pulling out the bag of candy._

"_Abigail," she rasped. He cradled her head, which had started to fall. _

"_Eat this," he instructed, holding out the candy for her. She ate slowly and carefully, even though she must be starving. Her eyelids drooped when she was done, and she leaned heavily on Ben. "We should take her with us," he told his brother, who looked worried._

"_That bastard will kill us if we bring home some strange girl and ask him to feed her."_

"_We can't just leave her here to die," Ben said._

_Matt sighed," I know. But if he pulls his shotgun on us, don't say I didn't warn you."_

_Ben rolled his eyes. He picked up Abigail, who was feather-light. How many days had she gone without food? As he carried her away towards his father's small house near the river, he couldn't shake the feeling that his destiny had been irreversibly changed._

()()()()()()()()()()()()

In Las Noches, as the day of Orihime's wedding approached, the spy made their move.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N- We finally learned who Abigail is. The rest of the story will unfold later. As for the spy, I use the pronoun 'they' to describe them, so as to not give any hints about gender. I'm so secretive. /shifty eyes/

Please leave a review. School has started up again, so I might not have my chapters up on time. I am so sorry, I swear I will try my best.

Next chapter: The truth of the Spy, a Death in Las Noches

Coming soon.


	11. Chapter 9

A/N- Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or any lyrics.

**Chapter 9**

**The Truth of the Spy, a Death in Las Noches**

_In Las Noches, as the day of Orihime's wedding approached, the spy made their move._

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Orihime sat in her room the next day, thinking about Ulquiorra, which had become a bit too habitual for her comfort. It seemed nothing she did, even imagining her upcoming wedding, could stop her from thinking about the green-eyed Espada. He was hiding something from her, of that she was sure. Grimmjow was definitely involved too. So why wasn't she thinking of Grimmjow nonstop? Oh yeah, maybe it was because she hadn't locked lips with him while engaged. She felt so awful about that. Just who was this place turning her into?

She didn't even feel like Orihime anymore. This place had bended her, broken her until she was paranoid and edgy, not to mention wildly out of character. Back home, she had never been kissed by anyone other than her brother. Now, it seemed, she was kissing people all over the place. As for her new power, she felt sure that it had a special meaning. All three of her original techniques were acquired by circumstance, by her needing them to protect and heal Tatsuki. Could it be, she gained these powers to teleport by her wild need to escape form here? Could her powers really get her out of here?

Maybe… maybe it was worth a try. Maybe she could be free from Aizen's sweet lies. She quickly said the incantation, and felt familiar warmth in her chest. She imagined home, with Tatsuki and Ichigo and all her other friends. She willed herself to be there. Orange began to swirl around her… then nothing. The orange had zapped out as quickly as it had come leaving her still in Las Noches, and more than a little confused.

Why hadn't it worked? She felt fine, energized enough to perform the spell. Yet her powers had failed. Was it a limitation? Could she not transport to a different dimension? A thought struck her. Did she even want to leave? She did, she knew, but there were also things, like the deal with Ulquiorra, that were tying her here. She didn't have enough resolve to leave. And until she sorted it out with Ulquiorra (and Grimmjow, she added guiltily) she wouldn't have enough resolve to do anything. _All the more reason to sort this out sooner rather than later, _she thought firmly.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Like Ulquiorra had asked him to, Grimmjow came by his room in the morning, sensing that something serious was going on. However, true to his nature, he took his time, knowing it would really piss the very punctual Ulquiorra. When he finally wandered into the 4th Espada's room Ulquiorra glared at him angrily. He seemed unnerved, a rare sight for Ulquiorra.

He didn't waste a second, ripping his left eye out hastily, crushing it violently. He practically threw the shards at Grimmjow, who stared in shock as the memories from Ulquiorra's dream assaulted his mind, forcefully bringing his own into the open.

Grimmjow stared ahead silently for a moment, digesting the truth that made itself painfully clear to him. Ulquiorra waited impatiently for his response. In a voice that was much calmer than he felt, Grimmjow said," We have to stop this wedding."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Orihime sighed as she stared out the window of her room. You'd think, as the soon-to-be queen of this dimension, she would at least get a little more freedom. Then again, the original restriction placed on her couldn't still be in effect, could it? Surely Aizen wouldn't mind her exploring her new home. She quickly strode out of her room, before she could loose her nerve.

The walls and floor were varying shades of white and gray, so plain it almost hurt her eyes. She looked for remarkable features of the hallway she was in, not wanting to get lost, but found none. She felt nervous, but kept going, wanting to break the confined feeling she had been feeling in Las Noches.

Every twist and turn of the confusing hallways deepened the sick feeling n her stomach, and panic filled her, setting every nerve on high-alert. The walls seemed to close in around her, and she felt her legs break into a frantic run. Something about this place frayed her nerves, making her feel paranoid. There was no logic to fear, just a bone-deep feeling of terror, of the need to get out of here.

She felt time flying behind her, along with the blurred white walls. She had no idea how long she had been running through the palace, but she couldn't stop herself. This wasn't natural. Something was messing with her mind, because there was no logical reason to feel like this. Did Aizen keep an illusionary spell over the halls to confuse enemies? Possible.

She turned a corner for the umpteenth time, only to run painfully into a wall. She spun around to run the way she had come, only to see another wall. She stared disbelievingly at the wall that had materialized out of nowhere. _Another illusion?_ she thought anxiously. She was in a box, and the walls were definitely closing in. In a minute, she would be crushed. If only she could get out of here…

_Wait a second; I can get out of here._Her new power hadn't been able to get her out of Hueco Mundo, but she might be able to get out of this room, maybe even back to her room. _Calm down. I can do this. _She took a shaky breath.

"Well look at this. The princess is all alone," a mocking voice said from Orihime's right.

She spun around towards the noise and found a hallway stretching out in front of her. _That definitely wasn't here before. _The source of the voice was a female arrancar with black hair in pigtails, standing next to a girl whose hair looked a lot like Grimmjow, only in blonde. She couldn't deny that she felt relieved. Maybe they would help her.

She noticed their smiles, cruel and mocking, and she felt the relief disappear. They took menacing steps forward, and Orihime felt her muscles tense up, ready for fight or flight. Suddenly, their smiles disappeared, leaving angry scowls in their place.

"How dare such a lowly human even consider marrying Lord Aizen! " the raven-haired one exclaimed. The blonde nodded.

"You're so pathetic! You could never, in a million years, deserve Lord Aizen," she continued, hate glowing in her eyes. The blonde nodded again.

Orihime glanced from one girl to another. They didn't look like the type who would listen to pleas for mercy. She forced herself to calm down and tried to sound controlled as she said," I am marrying Lord Aizen because he wants me to. I exist to serve him."

She had hoped that would placate them, but instead in made them angrier. The raven-haired girl leaped forward, slapping Orihime so hard she rammed into the wall.

"You stupid bitch! How dare you even utter Lord Aizen's name," she seethed. The blonde nodded fiercely.

"Let's ruin her face!" the blonde chimed.

The raven-haired one smiled. "Great idea, Menoly!"

Menoly grinned. "Thanks Loly."

"That's not very nice," a familiar voice commented. All three girls turned to see a green-haired arrancar walking towards them lazily. Orihime recognized her immediately.

"Okashii?" she called, confused by the girl's sudden appearance.

"Hang on one second," Okashii answered, standing between the arrancar and Orihime, staring at Menoly and Loly with her pale eyes.

"What're you doing here?" Loly asked angrily, tensing for battle. "Get lost!"

Okashii didn't answer her, just stared at her, unblinking and unrelenting. She reached into the pocket of her hakama, slowly and smoothly. She pulled out what appeared to be three gray marbles, like storm clouds encased in glass.

She threw them to the ground wordlessly, and they exploded, filling the area with smoke. Quick as lightning, she leaped into the cloud of smoke, toward Menoly and Loly. Orihime didn't see what happened, but when the smoke cleared, Loly was on her hands and knees, grasping her stomach, and Menoly was unconscious.

"Lord Aizen won't let you get away with this!" Loly rasped, before coughing violently.

Okashii didn't even acknowledge her. She blipped over to Orihime, and led her away from the scene, before pulling them both away with Sonido. When they were far enough away, she slowed down into a brisk walk.

"How did you do that?" Orihime asked her.

Okashii looked at her ambivalently, as if unsure whether or not to answer her. Finally, she said," I used smoke bombs, then heavy sedatives." She pulled out two empty silver syringes.

_Heavy sedatives__? _Orihime looked at the green-haired girl nervously.

"I had to!" she said defensively. "I couldn't have taken them both if I hadn't used those things. I'm not as strong as the average arrancar, not to mention my hierro is a lot thinner and weaker. My only advantage is my increased speed and skill in Sonido."

"Where did you get all that stuff you used?" Orihime pressed.

Okashii bit her bottom lip. "Szayel Aporro Granz," she answered.

Orihime shrieked," The sadistic scientist?"

"Be that as he may, he's a good ally to have. I've been doing work for him for a while now, and he repays me by giving me cool stuff he invents."

"What kind of work?"

"Reconnaissance work, mostly. He sends me all across Hueco Mundo looking for hollow covens he can turn into his fraccion. I can do that pretty well, because I'm fast and stealthy."

"Stealthy?" Orihime asked.

"I can completely mask my presence," the arrancar said proudly.

Orihime felt a wave of unease, but quickly dismissed it. It had to be nothing, right?

"And Grimmjow doesn't mind, either," she added as an afterthought.

"What does Grimmjow have to do with it?" Orihime asked.

"He is my master," she answered," I am his fraccion."

"Really?" the teen asked.

"Yeah. All of his original fraccion died a while back, so I was assigned to him as a sort of replacement. Anyway, he doesn't have much use for me, so he doesn't care if I go off on missions for Szayel."

"So what's it like to work for Grimmjow?" Orihime asked.

"It's like… running and endless race. You keep running for the finish line, but it's never there, so you just keep on running." She smiled. "But I wouldn't change it for the world."

Orihime wasn't sure what to say to that. _She really is weird, _she thought, _but she's nice. _

"So," Okashii said awkwardly, changing the subject," Less about me, more about you. Are you excited for the wedding?"

Orihime sighed. What was the point of lying? "Not really," she answered truthfully. "I don't really want to get married. Plus, what happens thirty years from now? I'll just keep getting older and older…"

Okashii stared at her disbelievingly, and Orihime suddenly felt uncomfortable. "What?" she asked.

"When do you normally get your period?" Okashii asked.

_Random much? _Yet her question had come at an odd time. She should have had her period two days ago, and she had never been late before. She was starting to think she was sick.

"When you came here," Okashii explained," your body was frozen in place, so in thirty years, you'll look pretty much the same as you do now."

She digested this slowly, as they continued their trek in an unknown direction. _Frozen in place… just like Peter Pan. I'll never grow older, _she thought slightly hysterically.

"You ok?" Okashii asked.

"Yeah," she answered slowly," It's just incredibly weird. I'll never grow again."

"Not necessarily," the arrancar said softly.

"What do you mean?" Orihime was beyond confused.

"You're like a shinigami now. You don't grow with age, you grow with power. If your power increases, you will get a little bit older."

"Anything else?" The autumn-haired teen asked warily.

"Nope. That's about it. Care for a subject change?"

"Yes, please," Orihime said, relieved.

"Awesome," Okashii chirped, looking excited," What're you going to wish for?"

She stared at the arrancar for a few seconds before asking," How do you know about that?" Okashii wasn't at the Espada meeting, so the only way she could know is if everybody knew, like the latest gossip. The last thing Orihime wanted to be was an item of gossip.

"Not important," Okashii said quickly, waving the question off. "So what're you going to wish for?"

"For my friends to be safe," Orihime answered.

Okashii stared at her. "Are you serious? That's what you're going to wish for?"

"Yeah… What's wrong with that?" Orihime asked self-consciously.

"There's no way he'll honor that! He'll say something like,' Sure, no problem.' Then he'll kill them all behind your back!"

Orihime stared in horror. "He wouldn't…"

"Yes, he really would. That friend of yours, what's-his-face…"

"Ichigo," Orihime supplemented.

"Ichigo is one of the biggest threats to Lord Aizen right now. There's no way he'd let him live just because you asked him to. That's a waste of a wish!"

"What would you wish for then?" Orihime challenged. The truth was it had never occurred to her that Aizen wouldn't grant her wish. Yet as she thought about it, it made perfect sense.

"I would wish to never be forced to have sex," Okashii answered calmly. Orihime blushed fiercely.

"He would never force me…" she said unsurely.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Okashii said in a low whisper. "He's dangerous."

Orihime shuddered. She really didn't want to think about that. Luckily, she didn't have to. Okashii changed the subject.

"Do you know what Stockholm Syndrome is?" she asked in a low murmur.

"Um… No. What is it?" Orihime asked curiously.

For a long moment, Okashii didn't answer. She stared blankly ahead, before she sighed.

"_It's a thief in the night,  
To come and grab you.  
It can creep up inside you,  
And consume you.  
A disease of the mind,  
It can control you.  
It's too close for comfort" _she sang softly.

Orihime blinked in confusion. Where did Okashii learn human songs from? More importantly, what was she trying to say by them?

They stopped in front of a door, but it definitely wasn't her door, Orihime noted. Just where were they?

"What're you doing?" Orihime asked as the arrancar walked up to the door and pounded on it.

Okashii smiled. "Ding-dong ditching," she answered, before blipping away, leaving Orihime alone.

The door opened. "What do you want?" Grimmjow yelled, but upon seeing Orihime his expression softened slightly. "What're you doing here?" he asked.

"I… I don't know," she answered truthfully. He stared at her, before sighing loudly.

"Fine. Come in."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Okashii sonido-ed as fast as her nimble legs would carry her. She had to get away from Orihime as fast as possible, unless she wanted the people following her to reach Orihime as well. She pressed herself further, hoping Grimmjow wouldn't mind looking after Orihime.

It wasn't in her nature to depend on another person, but Grimmjow… she had feeling she could trust Grimmjow with Orihime. Even more so than Ulquiorra, actually. Ulquiorra might still be conflicted in his loyalties, a risk she couldn't take. Grimmjow, however, never had any such loyalties to Aizen, making him the obvious choice.

She moved quicker, flying through hallways with little care where she was going, as long as she led her followers away from Orihime. Determination fueled her legs, making her go even faster.

Finally, she reached a large empty space, where she stopped abruptly. This would be far enough that Orihime wouldn't be involved. She stood still in the silence that blanketed her, like the calm before the storm.

With an echoing sound, the Exequias sonido-ed into the room, surrounding her. She watched them lazily, not showing any signs of fear. They were just the black pawns, and she was still waiting for the black king, after all.

He came soon after, along with his two black bishops. Ichimaru smiled at her, and she smiled back, not seeing any reason to be unfriendly to him. He was not the one calling the shots. Tousen just stared at her with his empty eyes, hand fingering the hilt of his zanpakuto, ready to strike at any minute. She deemed it best to flip him off, a gesture he would never see.

Aizen, the black king himself, greeted her. "Hello, Okashii. Have you decided to stop running?"

The white horse stood ready. "I was never running," she answered calmly," only changing the playing field."

Aizen raised an eyebrow, smiling good-naturedly. "And do you believe this playing field gives you an advantage."

"Not particularly," she replied, looking bored.

"Then why chose it? It makes no sense."

Okashii seriously doubted he hadn't figured it out yet. He was just toying with her, not that that came as a surprise. People always stay true to their nature, after all. "It makes perfect sense to me, but that may be because I know the reason I did it."

"Obviously. Do you want to find out why we are here?" Aizen asked her.

"That's a great question. Why are we here?" she said sarcastically. "Are we meaningless beings, wandering through the world? Or is there truly a divine hand, guiding us towards a predestined purpose? I'm not sure. Care to ponder this with me?"

"That's not what I meant," he said in a slightly annoyed voice.

She smirked. "My bad."

"Would you like to know why we are confronting you?" he clarified.

"Go for it," she said evenly.

"You have been spending an awful lot of time with our guest, Orihime. I believe you remember me instructing everyone to leave her be when she first arrived."

"Did you really? I don't seem to remember that. I must have been asleep. Your meetings are always so boring."

Tousen flashed forward and struck her across the face. "Show more respect to Lord Aizen," he hissed.

She rubbed her stinging cheek with her right hand and used her left to flip him off once more. She heard Ichimaru chuckle. Tousen walked back to his position next to Aizen.

"Anyway, what do you think would be an appropriate punishment for disobeyment of a direct order?" Aizen asked as if nothing had happened.

She pretended to give it serious thought. "How 'bout a spanking?" She winked at him. He didn't look amused.

"You better be careful," he warned her," You're gambling with your life here."

"The life of a horse carries no meaning to even to the horse, if it is for the sake of their king," she replied calmly.

"And who is your king?" he asked her.

"The white king," she answered," The one I made a promise to.

"_I_ am your king," he corrected her," You and all the others here live to serve _me_."

She eyed him evenly, but her voice carried sparks of anger and she replied," _What if I say I'm not like the others?  
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?  
You're the pretender,  
What if I say that I'll never surrender?_"

She never heard his response, because in the next moment Tousen was in front of her, his sword running through her chest. She stared wide-eyed at the metal sticking out of her chest, as if she had no idea how it got there.

Tousen withdrew his sword, and Okashii fell to the ground. Without a sound, the spy had fallen. She had failed again.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N- Yes, Okashii is the spy. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!! I swear, I have a perfectly good reason. Which I will explain later.

NOTE: A few chapters back I said that Ichigo & co. would be joining the party in five days. However, I am horrible at keeping track of time, so please forgive me if the day count is off. Also, sorry if this chapter sounded rushed. It was. I've been buried under homework.

Thanks for reading this far, especially those who reviewed. You guys are the best, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. If you haven't reviewed yet, PLEASE DO! I love hearing from you guys.


	12. Chapter 10

A/N- Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Warning: Non- Ulquihime pairing in this chapter. I couldn't resist. I feel so ashamed.

**Chapter 10**

**The Truth According to Grimmjow, the Wedding draws Near**

_Tousen withdrew his sword, and Okashii fell to the ground. Without a sound, the spy had fallen. She had failed again._

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_April 23__rd__, 1852 _

"_Abby!" Matt called loudly, searching the rocks near the river for the missing girl. "Damn it! Where are you?" he yelled. Where could she be hiding?_

_When he finally found her, she was huddled up in a ball behind some tall trees, tear marks stretching down her cheeks. Upon seeing him, she violently tried to wipe the tears from her reddened eyes, only to have more come._

_He crouched down next to her, and the second he was within her reach, she threw her arms around his waist and sobbed into his chest. He stiffened, but then sighed and wrapped his arms around her. Affectionate actions like this always made him very uncomfortable, but unfortunately Abigail seemed very fond of them. A thorn in his side, sure, but what're you going to do?_

"_It was –hiccup- so painful. He –hiccup- yelled at me, and –hiccup- hit me," she cried into his chest. Matt bit his lip in anger. _

_Almost a year ago, when he and Ben had first brought Abigail back to their father, Morris Walker, he had been very angry at them for asking for him to care for a girl who couldn't work off the money she cost. Unlike Elizabeth's father, Morris didn't own a shop where a girl could work. He was a gold miner, and while Ben and Matt could help him with that, Abigail simply didn't have the strength. Once her cough had healed, though, and her body filled out from regular meals, their father seemed to notice that Abigail was unusually attractive. Then, like the sick bastard he was, their father decided he could whore her out to the bastards in this town._

_Abigail never complained, but whenever she thought no one was looking she would burst into tears, clutching her often bruised arms. It hurt Matt to see her like this, but it downright killed Ben. Ben had strong feeling for Abigail, Matt knew, and the resentment towards their father had swelled drastically since Abigail had been living with them._

_Sometimes, late at night, when Abigail was asleep, the two brothers would talk. In the tiny room the three of them shared, they would make plans to kill their father, and leave this hell-hole once and for all. They never went through with them, but it was therapeutic just thinking about it._

_As he held her, he murmured softly," It's over now, Abby." She snuggled further into his chest. Her sobs slowly died down, and her breathing evened out. _Great_, he thought, _she's asleep_. He sighed, then lifted her in his arms. Even when she was eating regularly, she was still very light. A small leather sack sat next to where she had been sitting. There was money in it. _The payment, _Matt thought bitterly. _

_Something looked wrong. Matt couldn't count well, but even he could tell there was less than half the money their father demanded. _Not good, _Matt thought. Morris would undoubtedly blame Abby for this. Who knew what he would do to her? She was already bruised enough as it was. He grabbed the bag._

_He made his way over to where Ben was searching for Abigail, careful not wake her. Upon seeing Abby safe, Ben look relieved. He ran over to where they were and whispered," Where did you find her?"_

"_Behind some trees," Matt whispered back," but that's not important. Look in the bag." _

_Ben leafed through the bank notes grimly. He looked at Matt. "We can't let Father see this," he stated. He stared worriedly at the sleeping Abigail. He turned back to Matt. _

"_Take Abigail and the bag to Elizabeth, and ask her for some money. I'll go back to Father and tell him we still haven't found her since she disappeared last night. Try not to wake her. We'll bring her back with the money and say she must have fallen asleep on the way home."_

_Matt nodded, "Fine." _

_Ben turned and walked back in the direction of the house. After a couple of steps he stopped and turned towards Matt. "Don't let her get hurt."_

"_As if," Matt snorted. Ben cracked a semi-smile, and continued on his way._

_Matt walked through the forest by the river, avoiding anywhere where he might be seen. He had to take the long way to town to avoid places where other people were, but after a while he came to the back of the Golden Sun. He picked up a rock and threw it at the back door, hoping that Elizabeth was still working and not her father._

_Luck was on his side, and Elizabeth walked out a moment later with an irritated expression, but that melted away when she saw Abigail lying limply in Matt's arms. She ran up to him and whispered," What happened?"_

_He explained it to her, and her expression turned grim. She gestured for him to follow her, and led him into the store. She pulled out a wooden box filled with bank note, and silently counted out the bills. "Father will kill me for this," she whispered softly, but she didn't stop counting out bills. She handed them to him. "Will that be enough?" she asked._

"_I guess," he replied. She smiled grimly._

"_Is she alright?" she motioned to Abigail._

"_I don't think so," Matt muttered," She shouldn't be able to sleep through this. I think the bastard who… had her last night did something to her."_

_A bell rung form the front of the store, and Elizabeth spun around as a customer strode in. He eyed her condescendingly and drawled," Can't tell if you're a lad or lass." _

_She glared but asked calmly," What can I do for you?"_

_He started to answer, but caught sight of Matt, and Abigail in his arms. He grinned lecherously. "Well, if it isn't my little playmate from last night. Are you having a go with her, boy?"_

_Matt's eyes clouded and he said without turning away from the man," Elizabeth, take Abby."_

_Elizabeth bit her lip but reach forward to take the lighter girl from Matt's arm. "Take this outside," she commanded shakily," My father really will kill me if there's blood on the floor." Matt nodded, still staring at the man, who looked bemused. Matt took a step forward. _

_He began walking towards the door, his murderous intent almost choking the air. The older man seemed completely unaffected. "Matt!" she called before he was outside. She hesitated, but finally said," Don't you dare die."_

_He turned to look at her, and smirked. "As if," he answered. Without another word, he walked outside, into the heat of the day._

_The older man followed lazily. "You're Morris's boy, right?" he asked._

"_Yeah, what's it to a dead man?"_

_The man smiled mockingly. "He's a good man. Hope he taught you how to fight."_

_Matt grinned, slowly and wickedly. Fast as lightning her pulled a knife out of his boot, and leaped forward. A second later, a slash appeared across the man's chest. The older man looked down in shock._

"_I taught myself," he answered, cackling sadistically. He felt a sharp pain from his left arm, but he ignored it. His adrenaline was running the show now. He picked up a handful of dirt from the ground and threw it on the wound he had inflicted. The man howled in pain. Calmly, almost as an afterthought, Matt brought his foot up between the man's legs. The older man collapsed on the ground, moaning in pain. _

_Men of the town had gathered around them to watch the fight, and were staring at Matt with fear. He turned to them, grinning maniacally, and informed them," Anyone else who touches Abigail will get the same thing. Now scram!" The men slowly backed up, and left Matt in a hurry. He turned to the older man._

"_Not so tough now, are you?" he taunted to the fallen man, who groaned pitifully in response._

_He turned back towards the shop, where Elizabeth stood silently, wide-eyed and pale. She looked moderately horrified. Matt's expression turned annoyed. He was the good guy, damn it! Why'd she have to stare at him with such fear?_

_He walked up to her and wordlessly took Abigail into his arms again. "I'm going home," he informed her. She shook her head fervently. _

"_Left arm," she whispered hoarsely. He glanced down at his left arm and saw blood soaking through the sleeve of his shirt. How had he not noticed that? How much blood had he lost? The adrenaline was receding, and he could feel the pain more clearly now. He sat down on the ground, hard. Elizabeth turned and ran towards the back of the store where they kept bandages and medicine. Matt felt surprisingly calm, despite the pain. He couldn't understand why Elizabeth was so frantic. He couldn't have lost that much blood, could he?_

_The jolt of Matt sitting down had somehow stirred Abigail from her coma-like slumber, and she saw his blood leaking from the wound he had sustained. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. She jerked out of his arms and quickly tore off the shirt of her dress, wrapping it around the wound like a tourniquet. She looked as panicked as Elizabeth, but all Matt could focus on was the fact that her torn dress gave him a great view of something Ben would kill to see. He felt himself smirk. Ben would cut his arm off for this view, not that the prick would ever admit it. It was too frikin' hilarious that Matt got to see it._

_Abigail followed his gaze and saw his smirk and shrieked. "Lecher!" she screamed indignantly. He raised an eyebrow at her, as if her reaction was completely unjustified. Her cheeks were flushed a beautiful pink, like the pink of a sunset. He could see why Ben liked her so much. Not to mention she had a chest that surpassed most adult women. Matt was acutely aware of that._

_He felt a strong urge rise in his blood; the urge to kiss her, to claim her. It took every ounce of self-control he had to not jump the poor girl. The poor shirtless girl…_

_He stamped down the thoughts. His breathing was uneven, and Abby mistook it for a sign of blood loss. She leaned closer to him, looking concerned. She clutched his arm tighter, hoping to sop the bleeding, and he snapped. Self-control be damned. He never was a big fan of it anyway._

_He jumped forward, so she was sprawled on the ground, him hovering over her. Her doe eyes widened further, looking both afraid and excited. She had mixed feelings about this. Matt could care less._

"_M… Matt? What're you doing?" she asked nervously._

_He leaned in, so his mouth was right next to her ear. "Shh," he purred lowly. A small shudder worked through her. He grinned predatorily, like a panther looking at particularly delicious prey._

_He pressed his lips against hers softly, forcing himself to be gentle with the fragile girl in front of him. He didn't want to be like the men who took advantage of her; he wanted her to want it. He wanted her to enjoy it. Not that he would go that far, though. _

_She was confused, he could tell. Part of her was enjoying the gentleness of his kiss, while another part of her couldn't let go of who she was doing this with. Not a problem, Matt thought confidently. He knew how to make her forget all her worries._

_Slowly, he slid his tongue against her lips asking for entrance. Just a formality, of course, because a second later his tongue was in her mouth, softly moving around. She mewled softly against him, clearly enjoying herself against her better judgment. _

_Somewhere, in the back of his mind, something occurred to him. Where was Elizabeth? She had left to the back a long time ago. It was this thought that broke him out of his Abby-centered reverie. He broke away from Abigail and looked towards the back of the shop. Elizabeth stared shell-shocked at their less-then-proper position. Ben stood behind her, his expression a mix of hurt, anger, and confusion._

_Matt cursed quietly. What was he supposed to say? Being on top of a girl who was shirtless and kissing normally implied something else, and Matt could see that thought working it's way through Ben's head._

_Suddenly Ben's face cleared, an apathetic mask being skillfully composed. "Elizabeth said you got shot," he said in a monotone," but you appear to be fine."_

_So that's what happened to his arm. One of the guys crowded around him must've shot him with a pistol. How did he not hear that? Come to think of it, that explained why the people around him were staring at him as if he were a monster. He shook his head to bring him back to the matter at hand._

"_Look, Ben-," Matt started, before getting interrupted._

"_Don't bother," Ben said coldly. "Do what ever you want. I don't care." Without another word, he turned around and exited the store, leaving and irritated Matt behind him. Elizabeth walked forward shyly, handing her coat to the topless Abigail. Abby accepted it, sitting up, clearly confused with the past five minutes. This was screwed up. Son of a bitch._

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Aizen sat high in his throne, with his 2nd Espada kneeling before him. The wedding was tomorrow, and in order to prevent the whole 'Okashii incident' from repeating itself, he had told Halibel to spend as much time with Orihime as possible. Ulquiorra and Grimmjow would be there too.

"As you wish, Lord Aizen," Halibel replied. She seemed distracted, and Aizen had had many reports of her wandering aimlessly around Stark's domain. He wasn't one to jump to conclusions, but he couldn't ignore the evidence that was making itself painfully clear.

"Halibel," he said in his most paternal voice," what do you think of Stark?"

She carefully considered this. "He is lazy, and not particularly clever, but he has speed and strength unmatched by any Espada, past or present. I believe he is an asset to your army," she answered.

Not what he had been asking at all, but he didn't press the issue. He dismissed her, and sat thinking. His arrancar shouldn't be experiencing love or affection. Halibel was first and foremost a hollow, and just because she was a girl didn't mean she would let emotions get in the way of obedience. He hoped not, anyway. He didn't want to find a new 2nd Espada.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Orihime and Grimmjow had soon lapsed into an awkward silence, neither having much to say to another. That's when Orihime realized, although she considered Grimmjow a friend, she knew next to nothing about him. She decided to try to find out more about him.

"What do you like to do in your spare time?" she asked.

A predatorily grin broke out on his face, and he all but purred," Don't think you want to ask that, Princess." She shivered.

"What's your favorite color?" she asked, hoping this would be a safer question.

He actually thought about that one. "Red," he finally answered. Orihime looked at him in slight fear. He sighed. "Not because it's the color of blood," he added. She looked considerably relieved.

"Then why?" she probed.

"Around here, it's the color of truth. But everything here is white, which is a lie. White, the color of purity, doesn't belong in Las Noches." He stared right into her eyes. "You don't belong here, for that matter."

She tried to digest that. It was true, of course, that she (a human) didn't belong in the world of hollows. Yet Grimmjow's words went deeper than that. She was so completely different; she contradicted the essence of Las Noches, just as much as the white walls did.

"So why are you here?" Grimmjow asked her again.

"I don't know," she answered again.

Why was she here? Why had Okashii left her with Grimmjow instead of Halibel or Ulquiorra? At first she had thought that they had been wandering around and Grimmjow's room had been closest, but that didn't seem likely. Okashii must have had a reason for leaving her with Grimmjow, as opposed to the others. What was Grimmjow doing that the others wouldn't? A thought struck her. What _wasn't_ Grimmjow doing that the others _would_? Take her back to her room. Of course; Okashii obviously didn't want Orihime to be in her room. But why?

"Okashii…" she whispered to herself. Grimmjow's enhanced hearing caught it perfectly.

"How do you know Okashii?" he asked, sounding… hopeful? No, Orihime must be mistaken.

"We've… talked a few times," she answered unsurely.

"About what?" he pressed.

"Stuff," she answered vaguely.

He growled. Did he have to play twenty questions with her? Did she remember Abigail, or not? He was growing impatient. The wedding was tomorrow, and if she didn't remember Abigail, she could make a huge mistake. He did not want to resort to plan B. It looked like he wouldn't have much of a choice.

He stepped towards her, and she felt fear rise in the pit of her stomach. Why was he getting so close? Why was he staring at her shirt? Her heart beat faster. "G… Grimmjow? What're you doing?" she asked nervously. His eyes flashed, before he smiled slowly, predatorily.

"Shh," he purred lowly, recreating the scene as best he could. How far would he have to go before she remembered? She shuddered slightly. Next came the kiss. Why couldn't she remember on her own? She owed him, big time.

He kissed her softly, just as he had before, careful not to let his excessive strength hurt her. She was definitely doubtful about this kiss. Oh well, at least he hadn't torn off her shirt. She should be thankful for small mercies.

She almost lost herself. His kiss was so tender, so contradictory to his nature, that it was hard to think clearly. Yet she could quiet the voice in her head that was screaming at her that she was kissing _another _person she wasn't engaged to. But even that was hard to focus on when kissing Grimmjow Jaggerjaques.

His tongue prodded her lips for entrance and she froze. Not because she had had an attack of morals, which she would have welcomed, but because she felt an increasingly familiar spiritual pressure right out side the door, which was pushed open revealing Ulquiorra and Halibel.

_You've got to be kidding me_, Grimmjow thought darkly, as he detached himself from Orihime. _How does this keep happening to me? _Ulquiorra flashed forward, pushing Orihime back so that he stood between the two of them.

"What were you thinking?" Ulquiorra asked coldly, but his eyes asked,' How could you do this to me again?'

"_The wedding is tomorrow_," Grimmjow emphasized," I just wanted to help her relax."

Ulquiorra's eye flashed with comprehension. "And did it work?" he asked, sounding apathetic.

Grimmjow sighed," No."

"Halibel, please escort Orihime out of here," Ulquiorra said, his eyes still locked on Grimmjow's.

Halibel nodded, and began leading Orihime out of the room.

"Please don't fight!" she called desperately. "It's not his fault!" A complete lie, but she didn't care.

"Orihime," Halibel murmured lowly," Just leave it be." She waved her hand in front of Orihime's face, and the girl stopped struggling, falling limply into Halibel's arms. She carried her away.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Ulquiorra looked at Grimmjow. "So she didn't remember?" he asked.

Grimmjow shook his head.

Ulquiorra sighed.

"She's been talking to Okashii," Grimmjow said suddenly.

"She has?" Ulquiorra asked. He remembered seeing the two of them together in Orihime's room. But that was before he knew…

"Even that didn't jog her memory," Grimmjow said in a frustrated voice. "Even talking to Elizabeth herself couldn't wake her up."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N- Okashii is the spy, the spy is Elizabeth… Things are heating up. So sorry if this chapter sounded rushed, because it was, and it was probably riddled with mistakes. Blame my sadistic teachers, who insist that any minute without homework is a minute unfulfilled.

PLEASE REVIEW. I love it when people add me to their alert lists, but I also like to hear what you guys have to say. See you all next week!


	13. Chapter 11

A/N- Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or any lyrics

Warning: Non- Ulquihime pairing in this chapter. In a couple of chapters, I'll give Ulquihime a huge love scene to make up for it, 'kay?

**Chapter 11**

**The Clock Strikes Midnight, the Princess in Chains**

"_She's been talking to Okashii," Grimmjow said suddenly._

"_She has?" Ulquiorra asked. He remembered seeing the two of them together in Orihime's room. But that was before he knew…_

"_Even that didn't jog her memory," Grimmjow said in a frustrated voice. "Even talking to Elizabeth herself couldn't wake her up."_

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Today was the day. At noon today, Orihime would marry Aizen. She would be married to Aizen, and bound to Las Noches. There would be no escape, there would be no mercy. Despite the dignified title of Queen, she doubted she would be respected. Power was respect here, and she lacked that. No matter how strongly Aizen sugar-coated it, she would still be a prisoner.

She didn't let herself hope that Ichigo would come and save her dramatically, right before she sold herself to the devil. She didn't dare dream of something so far out of the realm of possibility. There would be no rescue, there would be no redemption.

"I'm so sorry Ichigo," she whispered within the white confines of her room," In the end, he always wins." Of course he did. It was so simple, really. Aizen was powerful, and powerful people win. Ichigo was powerful too, but his power was unstable. Aizen had monstrous strength perfectly controlled, while Ichigo struggled to keep her power in check. Aizen was not bound by morals or ethics, but Ichigo was tied down by his uncertainty. Ichigo had never stood a chance, really.

It was strange, the way she could think all of this with a cool indifference, as if she were merely reading an unpleasant book she could put down at anytime. When had she become so divorced from reality? After her kiss with Ulquiorra? Grimmjow?

It didn't matter. The simple truth was she was no longer Orihime, who was modest and trusting and meek and chaste. She was wild, paranoid, resentful, and out of control. She was slowly turning into a monster, pressed under Hueco Mundo's gravity. It was conform, or die. There was no standing up for what you believed in.

She sighed sadly. Any second now, Halibel would come and help her get ready, and she would smile cheerfully and pretend to be excited. How long could she sustain her cheerful shell? Could it last through the wedding ceremony? What would happen on the wedding night? She remembered Okashii's words when they had spoken about the wedding night. _I wouldn't put it past him._ What was she going to do?

She allowed herself a moment of pure misery, letting it wash over her, running its course. She let the tears flow freely, basking in the open feeling. She cried for a few minutes before wiping away stray tears, straightening her dress, and checking her breathing. She composed herself, waiting with what was left of her dignity for the beginning of the end.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Aizen smiled as the servant arrancar set up the last wedding decorations. In a few hours, he would have trapped the white queen, turning her to black. He frowned. That dead arrancar, Okashii, had gotten her annoying chess metaphor stuck in his head.

The more he thought about it, the more he believed the damage Okashii did went deeper than he knew. He could feel something stirring underneath Orihime's surface, just hidden from his view. _Not for long, _he thought wickedly. He had much in store for his bride, unbeknownst to her. She really was similar to Hinamori, except that Orihime was actually useful.

Aizen was no fool. He knew something was happening between Orihime and Ulquiorra, not to mention Grimmjow. Yet no matter how many theories he came up with, none seemed to fit. He was missing something vital, of that he was sure.

Maybe he didn't need know. It wasn't important why, really. All that mattered was what. All he needed to know was if they were still loyal to him. And he had a perfect plan for figuring that out.

He summoned the Espada.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Aizen looked around the table at his soldiers, a calm look on his face. "The time has almost come for my plan to be carried out," he said placidly," You have all done wonderfully. The girl is thoroughly under our control."

His eyes shifted to Grimmjow. "However," he continued, still dangerously calm," it has come to my attention that a certain person kissed Orihime, despite my clear instructions that you were to be her _friend_."

"Friends with benefits," Nnoitra smirked.

Grimmjow felt trapped. He knew Ulquiorra wouldn't rat him out, as his actions were for the sake of Orihime remembering. Halibel, however, would feel no such hesitation to turn him in. What was he supposed to say?

"Blame yourself for giving her such a tight dress," he shot back, despite the obvious stupidity of saying such a thing.

Aizen ignored him. "However, I have chosen to be lenient with you. I will not demote you, nor will I punish you. As for the effects your actions have put on the plan, I have modified your role to compensate."

Grimmjow felt a sick feeling forming in his stomach. "Modified my role…?"

"Yes. Your role is now very similar to Nnoitra's, except this time, Halibel and Ulquiorra will not interfere."

It was all Grimmjow could do not to vomit. "You want me to rape her?!" he exploded. This could not be happening.

"I wouldn't put it that way, but yes," Aizen answered. "By acting the way you did, you left me no choice but for me to make you an antagonist in her eyes. This works out well, because the emotion trauma will push her closer to me."

"You want me to rape her?!" he yelled again.

Aizen chuckled good-naturedly. "Have some eloquence, Grimmjow," he chided.

Grimmjow felt absolutely disgusted. There was no way he could do that to Abigail after all that had happened to her with men in the past. But if he didn't, Aizen would know something was going on between him and Orihime, and he might trace it back to Ulquiorra, too. This was a lose-lose situation, definitely.

"Do you have any questions?" Aizen asked.

_Why are you such a sick bastard? _Grimmjow thought venomously. But slowly, mechanically, he shook his head.

Aizen smiled. "Very good. You are excused to go do that. The rest of us will remain here a bit longer, to discuss more plans."

In other words, he would get no chance to meet with Ulquiorra before he left. This was going from bad to worse. He rose fluidly, and stalked out of the room, wishing for the millionth time that he was strong enough to wipe that self-satisfied smile off Aizen's face.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Orihime was expecting Halibel to help her get ready for the wedding, so she was surprised to see Grimmjow come in, and she noticed with a sickly feeling that he was alone.

"Are you hurt?" she asked. "Did you and Ulquiorra fight? Do you need me to heal you?" He didn't have a scratch on him, but Orihime was just avoiding the subject of what happened last time. He didn't merit her pointless questions with answers.

His stare burned into her, it was so fierce. Even his spiritual pressure felt rougher. He stepped forward, getting into her personal space. She started to back up, but he grabbed her wrist, stopping her from moving. She felt her blood turn to ice. "Grimmjow…" she pleaded, trying in vain to free her wrist. What had gotten into him lately?

"Be quiet," he ordered in a tone that left no room for arguing. She felt all protests fall dead on her lips. What was he going to go? He pulled her into him, so she was pressed against his chest. She felt a prickle of tears come back.

"Take us somewhere else," he commanded. She stared blackly at him for a moment, not quite getting what he was saying. He growled. "Use your stupid pixies to take us somewhere else," he ground out.

"Where?" she asked quietly, feeling very small and weak as his spiritual pressure increased with his frustration.

"Anywhere private," he ordered," Preferably my room." She swallowed. Why this happening?

She heard a voice whisper in her head," _Trust me and take my hand;  
when the lights go out you will understand."_She stiffened. That voice had definitely been Okashii. How was Okashii talking in her head?

She wondered if she trusted Okashii. She had been the one to leave Orihime with Grimmjow, then ditch her. She tried to ignore the voice.

"_No!" _the voice cried indignantly._ "Trust me! For the sake of my fleeting sanity, listen to me!"_

Why? Why listen when the last time had gone so horribly?

"_Fine! If you won't listen to me, listen to logic! Doesn't he seem a little uncaring for what you think he intends to do?"_

She couldn't help but think that over. Grimmjow certainly didn't seem… aroused… just angry.

"_Alm__ost as if. It. Isn't. His. Idea." _The voice grit through imaginary teeth.

Orihime relented. "Mutsuten Itenshun, I reject," she chanted, orange circling Grimmjow and her. It spun around them and Orihime willed them to Grimmjow's room. There was a slight pain, a result of carrying both Grimmjow and herself. She didn't relent, however, placing her trust in Okashii and Grimmjow.

"_Thank you. I have to go now; it's difficult to maintain two links at once."_

What? What was that supposed to mean? Orihime didn't get an answer. She and Grimmjow landed in his room, Orihime stumbling slightly. It was ten times as difficult to transport two people, but she had pulled through somehow. With that resolved, she turned back to the problem at hand.

Grimmjow looked considerately calmer, and released Orihime wrist. He walked over to his bed and sat on the edge, burying his head in his hands. Orihime hesitated, before walking over to him. She placed a hand lightly on his shoulder. "What happened?" she asked softly.

He looked up at her, looking confused by her gesture. Orihime wasn't surprised. Turning the other cheek wasn't very common in Las Noches. He patted the spot next to him on the bed and she sat without thinking. He stared at her disbelievingly before sighing. "You'd still sit next to me after that? Are you that stupid?" He sounded weary, like the weight of the world resting on his shoulders.

"I don't think it was your choice," she said slowly," and you haven't made a move toward me since we got here." He nodded approvingly.

"Good observation, but you might want to be a bit more cautious."

"What happened?" she repeated. Her curiosity was eating at her.

"It was Barragan," he said mechanically, with no conviction in his voice," He has it out for me, and he ordered me to… rape you so I'd get in trouble with Aizen."

Her doe eyes widened. The third Espada had ordered him to do that just to get Grimmjow in trouble?

"Why did you do it?" she asked, not quite believing him.

"I can't refuse a higher ranked Espada," he said in his same dead voice that carried no weight. Did he want her to not believe her?

"Why are we safer here?"

"Your room is bugged," he answered, a spark of life animating his tone. He looked amused. "There are cameras everywhere."

She sputtered indignantly. "You watch me?!" she demanded.

He smirked. "Not me. Your trusty guardian, Ulquiorra."

She paled. "Even when I was changing…?" she sounded horrified.

His grin widened. "We wouldn't want you making any escape attempts, now would we?"

She shivered. He noticed, and pulled her onto his lap, hugging her close to his warmth. "You're like an iceberg," he complained good-naturedly," You bring a new meaning to the term 'cold feet'."

She smiled despite herself. She snuggled closer to him, allowing his warmth to spread through her frozen muscles, relaxing them.

"You're going to have to act as if I raped you," he informed her.

"Does that mean I won't get to talk to you anymore?"

"I think I'll survive a while without you talking," he said sarcastically.

"I don't think you're as bad as you like people to think," she murmured, sounding sleepy.

"Hmm?" he asked, a smile gracing his usually harsh features.

"I think you're a good person," she insisted. Her eyes started to close, and her head rested on his chest. She was feeling the effects of moving two people, and they were exhausting. Maybe she could sleep through her own wedding.

He chuckled. "Don't get ahead of yourself, princess."

She sighed. "Why does Ulquiorra never smile?" she asked groggily, before her head lolled.

He didn't release her; afraid she would lose herself without something to hold her together. It was a few hours before her wedding. He and Ulquiorra were no closer to making a plan. "Because when he lost you, he forgot how," he whispered in her ear, hoping she could hear his words in a dream and be comforted by them.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

When Orihime woke up, she was in her own room, with Halibel standing over her. Her head swam and she mumbled something to the effect of 'five more minutes'.

"Are you alright?" Halibel asked in her melodic voice.

"Huh?" Orihime rubbed her eyes, trying to remember what had happened.

"I found you in Grimmjow's room," she murmured gently," Your clothes were ripped, and you had minor cuts and bruises."

Orihime remembered in a flash. He had gone so far as to tear her clothes and bruise her? Was he that afraid of someone figuring it out?

"I… don't remember it so well," Orihime lied," Just that it was painful."

Halibel nodded sympathetically. Orihime was confused, to say the least, about the truth of this situation, but she decided to go along with what Grimmjow had told her.

Halibel helped her get ready, as well as several servant arrancar. She slid into her dress, thinking about Ulquiorra reaction to it. The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that his expression upon seeing it had been angry. It didn't make any sense.

Her hair was curled softly, so is cascaded down her back in orange ringlets. She decided to keep her hair clips in, unable to shake the feeling that she would need them. Her nerves were frayed, and she was more then a little paranoid. She felt sick to her stomach, a dark feeling of danger churning inside of her. She envied the girls who only felt nervous and excited on their weddings.

Halibel wore a beautiful dress of midnight blue silk, contrasting her normal colors. It was a very high turtleneck, hiding the bottom part of her face like her uniform did. It was short, showing off thin, muscular legs that would make any girl die with jealousy.

When they were done, they made their way towards the large room were the wedding would be held. There was a stiff air of melancholy around Orihime, like a proud woman walking towards the noose that would take her life for an uncommitted crime. Orihime felt an icy shell growing around her, protecting her. It reminded her of Ulquiorra, who kept himself cold and unfeeling because, as Orihime discovered, that was the best way to protect yourself against the misery that bleached the walls here.

That was what she was doing. It had made Ulquiorra look so strong, so unaffected, that Orihime knew it was the best thing for her. She had long since decided that she walk to her noose with her head held high.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

The room was huge, and richly decorated with flowers and glass ornaments. Orihime drank this in with a cool indifference, not looking impressed or disappointed. Her eyes scanned the crowd of arrancar gathered for the one she wanted to see. Ulquiorra was nowhere to be found.

A lot of the guys were staring, although whether it was at Halibel or herself, Orihime wasn't sure. She didn't particularly care. Grimmjow wasn't here either, not that that was surprising. If everyone, including Aizen, thought he had raped her, she doubted they would invite him to her wedding.

She noted, with a slightly sickened feeling, that Nnoitra was there, and he was drinking in the sight of both of the girls with a lecherous eye. "Let me handle this," Halibel murmured. She walked toward Nnoitra and they seemed to engage in a conversation. They talked and talked, although about what, Orihime didn't really want to know.

Her eyes continued to search the crowd, and she finally found who she was looking for. Ulquiorra was standing next to Stark, only ten meters away. They wore matching black suits, with midnight blue silk shirts on underneath. Her eyes focused on Ulquiorra, her breath hitching slightly. She tried to imagine Ichigo in that suit, but she couldn't. Only Ulquiorra existed in her world now. _Ben… _The name drifted through her head like a gentle breeze, unable to be held. The memory felt disjointed, not matching with each other. Just flashes, or names, or a place; nothing solid to work off of.

She started walking towards Ulquiorra, trying to keep her pace relaxed. She didn't want anyone to know how edgy she was. When she reached them, they turned to her, stopping their conversation abruptly. Stark smiled politely at her, and she returned the gesture. Ulquiorra nodded once to Stark, who nodded back and disappeared. Orihime stared into Ulquiorra's eyes, trying to find some answers, but finding none. He was closed off again.

"You don't like my dress," she accused softly.

He raised his eyebrow in what looked sort of like amusement. "Pardon?"

"You don't like my dress," she said a little louder.

"You do," he countered," You love it because it feels familiar to you, like a second skin, right?"

She almost gasped. How had he known what she thought of the dress so accurately? "You didn't answer my question," she pointed out.

"Are you surprised by that?" he asked, still not answering the question.

She sighed," Sadly, no. People don't seem to want to answer my questions lately."

He nodded. "All in good time," he promised.

"Take your time," she said, sounding a bit bitter," I'll be here forever."

He almost smiled, as if enjoying an inside joke. "Alright then."

She scowled childishly. She was seriously beginning to hate these riddles.

"Where is lord Aizen?" she asked.

He deadpanned. "He's waiting to see you until the ceremony," he started, when the sound of music began to drift through the air," which apparently begins now."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Ulquiorra walked her down the aisle, taking on the position of best man. Halibel and Stark waited next to Aizen, looking pensive. Aizen, however, looked incredibly self-satisfied. Orihime kept her face blank, not focusing on Aizen, but on the wall behind him. She met his eyes, but hers didn't carry any emotion.

She walked up to him, and Ulquiorra took his place next to Stark. The wedding had begun.

Aizen whispered something along the lines of 'you look beautiful' and she smiled hollowly and said thank you. Tousen, who she guest was the minister, began saying the traditional vows, although Orihime could swear she heard the word 'justice' said at least five times.

Finally, the vows where to be made. "I do," Aizen said smoothly. Tousen asked Orihime.

She hesitated a few moments; wanting to give Ichigo a chance to burst through the door, sword raised, to rescue her. Nothing happened.

With the coldest, most icy voice she could muster, she nearly spat," I do."

Then came the kiss of the devil.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Sorry guys, I really couldn't bring myself to write the ever so cheesy 'knight in shining armor comes just in time'. Because seriously, that would be lame. And I don't really like Ichigo enough to give him such a glorified role.

Sorry if it sounded rush and/or was riddled with mistakes. I had a science project, a history project, an essay, and three math assignments.

I'm sure this sounds old, but PLEASE REVIEW.

Next chapter: **The Clock Strikes Midnight, the Depth of the Treachery**


	14. Chapter 12

A/N- Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

**Chapter 12**

**The Clock Strikes Midnight, the Depth of the Treachery**

_Finally, the vows where to be made. "I do," Aizen said smoothly. Tousen asked Orihime._

_She hesitated a few moments; wanting to give Ichigo a chance to burst through the door, sword raised, to rescue her. Nothing happened._

_With the coldest, most icy voice she could muster, she nearly spat," I do." _

_Then came the kiss of the devil._

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_Earlier that day:_

_(Grimmjow POV)_

We had run out of time. The wedding was today, and we were no closer to getting Orihime out of here. It pissed me off like no other. I wanted to just blow a hole in the wall and get her out of here, damn the consequences. Ulquiorra, being the prick he was, said that we had to be clandestine about it as to not alert Aizen that they were no longer loyal. He said the key was to let that bastard Ichigo do all the rescuing in the public eye, while we pull the strings from the shadows. Not my style, to tell you the truth.

I brooded about that for a long time. Kurosaki would be coming here, a perfect opportunity for me to get revenge. But Orihime had complicated that. When she had first come, I had been ecstatic, because Ichigo was sure to follow. I had never anticipated that I might actually develop a bond with Orihime.

Ulquiorra brooded too. Despite my completely chaste reasons, I had still kissed the reincarnated Abigail. I hadn't even enjoyed it, really. I mean, I have to be gay not to enjoy kissing her a little, but I wasn't in love with her or anything.

I never, in a million years, would have guessed that I would team up with Ulquiorra. I thought we would end up killing each other in a battle to the death, honestly. But the fact of the matter remained; I owed Ben, big time. And I always repay my debts, thank you very much.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_April 23__rd__, 1852 _

_Matt ran endlessly through the forest, searching for his missing brother. Ben had ran off after finding Matt and Abigail, without even giving Matt a chance to explain his side of the story. Not that there was much of one, but Matt planned on blaming it on the blood loss. It was the only legitimate excuse he could come up with._

_He headed to a group of rocks near the riverbank. It was where Ben always ran to after something happened to him, because no one could hear him cry over the sound of the water. Ben wasn't an easy crier, mind you, but this life sure as hell gave him a lot to cry about. Matt, on the other hand, used violence to let it all out. _

_Abigail cried a lot. Whenever something happened, actually. She would start sobbing if she found a dead squirrel, or if she saw Matt or Ben gut a fish. Ben would always comfort her, no matter how stupid the reason, telling her it would be ok. If Ben wasn't there, she would cling to Matt and cry, something he did not find enjoyable at all._

_Truth be told, he didn't really like Abby when they first met. She was so fragile, so soft, like the smallest thing could break her. But as he got to know her, he realized what she lacked in physical strength, she made up for in mental strength. She endured a lot, he had to admit. And through it all, she could still smile and laugh. She was something else, that Abby._

_He found Ben exactly where he thought he would, crying, would you believe it. Of course he did the classical guy thing where he tried to hide it, but Matt knew Ben too well for that._

"_If you keep crying all the time, you're going to have tear marks permanently etched on your face," he stated. Not the most sensitive way of comforting, but Matt really wasn't a sensitive guy._

_Ben glared. "Did you come here to mock me?"_

_Matt sighed." No. I'm just delaying the inevitable." He sat down next to Ben, staring at the river they had lived at for five years. There was a faint sparkle of gold dust at the bottom, reflecting the sunlight. Both he and Ben were content to stare at it for a while, not talking._

_Finally, Ben broke the silence. "Why did you do it?" he asked, in a voice far more vulnerable than he had intended, probably._

"_Blood loss and adrenaline," Matt answered immediately," You can't think straight." He winced at how stupid that sounded. _

_Ben's eyes narrowed disbelievingly, and with good reason. But then he relaxed, and relented," If you say so."_

_There was an awkward silence, and neither boy knew what to say. Small talk seemed like a good option, but no one wanted to be the one to initiate it._

"_Where is Abigail?" Ben asked softly._

"_I left her with Elizabeth."_

_Ben stood up. "We better get going then. I don't trust Elizabeth, really."_

_Matt blinked. "Why not? She's harmless!"_

"_Don't you get the feeling she's… hiding something?" Ben asked._

_Matt blinked again, still not standing. "No… really not… I honestly don't view her as intelligent enough to hide something."_

_Ben sighed. "I know. But I can't shake the felling, you know?"_

_Matt stood up. "I guess." They made their way back to Golden Sun, both suddenly feeling a bit uneasy about their sort-of friend. _

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_(Ulquiorra's POV)_

I paced back and forth in my room, far more nervous then I had ever been in my arrancar life. Time was ticking away, and every reflection on my situation seemed to unsettle me more. As much as I hated it, I just wasn't strong enough to defeat Aizen. Neither was Grimmjow, obviously.

The more I thought about, the more it became evident that I was going to need help. Any plan I thought of required more allies than we had. Halibel would be a great ally to have, but I couldn't risk exposing our plan to someone who might not agree to help us with. And why should she? She had no past life connection to Orihime.

It would be easier if Okashii were still alive. Just goes to show how foolish she was, to taunt someone so much more powerful than herself. When I heard the news, I knew this was about to get a lot harder. Our only real option was to manipulate Ichigo Kurosaki into conducting the actual rescue. I worried about Grimmjow. Would he be able to resist the urge to kill Kurosaki?

A thought struck me. It was so far-fetched, yet it could work. I'd have to play my cards extremely carefully, but… it really was possible. If this worked, Orihime would be home free, and Aizen would have no idea about our involvement in it.

I set off to begin working on my new plan when the order came in. The Espada were to gather.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_April 23__rd__, 1852 _

_Ben and Matt were walking faster than necessary, a fact that didn't escape either of them. Ben wasn't even sure what he felt, but there was something dark about Elizabeth, something that set him on edge and frayed his nerves._

_They reached the Golden Sun, and the outside was eerily quiet. Everything seemed to be holding its breath, waiting. Ben felt waves of danger radiating from the building where Abigail was in. He and Matt rushed in._

_Morris stood in the shop, towering over Elizabeth and Abigail, who both looked understandably frightened. Elizabeth stood in front of Abigail, her arms spread out to protect her. Morris turned his head when he heard them enter. He was smiling paternally, but his eyes glowed with malice. _

"_Well, is it isn't my two precious gifts from above. Having trouble finding Abigail? Doesn't seem like it to me. But I know my sons would never lie to me, right?"_

_Ben said," I'm so sorry" at the same time Matt said," Bite me"._

_Ben glared at Matt. "For once in your life, shut up!" he hissed. Matt growled, but said nothing, choosing to glare at Morris to convey his hatred. Ben was at loss for words. What could he say to Morris? More importantly, what could he say that would get them all out this unharmed?_

_Elizabeth stepped up. "Abigail looked sick, so they took her to me cause-"She didn't see it coming. Morris backhanded her across the face, sending her to the ground, hard. _

"_Do you think I care what you say, cross-dresser?" he sneered. She clutched her cheek, looking pained. Her eyes darted to Abigail, who was left wide open. Ben followed her gaze and made a move to get to Abigail, but Morris was faster. He grabbed her upper arm, pulling her close to him, like she was a hostage._

"_Let go of her!" Elizabeth screamed, and the darkness Ben sensed in her increased explosively. Her eyes, pale blue, were murderous, and her hair had fallen from her braid and was wild and tangled. Ben watched in a mix of horror and fascination, but was still painfully aware of Abigail._

"_I found my good buddy Jim dead today. He had a deep cut across him chest, with dirt in it. I asked around, and it turns out there was a fight at this very establishment. Curious, don't you think, little cross-dresser?"_

_She stood up slowly, almost disjointedly, like a puppet. She locked eyes with Morris. "Let her go, you scum of a man," she spat._

"_Father," Ben added," can we please talk about his back home?" He glanced nervously at the grip on Abigail's arm, which seemed to be tightening._

_Matt was clutching his arm, as if the pain had waited for the most inopportune moment to make its full appearance. His face was twisted with pain, his eyes clouded with worry. His gaze never left the grip on Abigail's arm either._

"_I knew this girl would be trouble the moment you brought her home. I never wanted to take care of her anyway. But, out of the goodness of my heart, I took her in, gave her a job, and this is how you repay me?"_

"_A job?" Matt cried disbelievingly," You whored her out for your own gain!"_

_Abigail was still in her 'working dress' as Morris called it. It was a tight cream-colored corset with pink flowers embroidered on it, with a darker brown skirt that trailed passed the short girl's feet. The corset's thin straps had sheer, golden sleeves that worked well to hide the bruises that she often got while 'working'._

_Abigail squeaked pitifully as Morris's grip tightened yet again. Ben looked from Elizabeth to Matt and they both nodded. All at once, they leapt into action._

_Ben jumped forward and grabbed Abigail, pulling her out of the way just as Matt drove his good arm into Morris's gut. Elizabeth grabbed a large sack of flour, tore it open and threw it to the ground in front of Morris, sending the white powder into the air, cloaking the youths. They sprinted out of there, as Morris grasped at the flour-filled air they had occupied a few moments ago._

_They ran past the edge of town, and into the forest. The trees past them in a blur, and Ben's breathing turned ragged. They stopped in a clearing._

"_Matt, Abigail, you guys go back home and grab money and food, as much as you can carry. Elizabeth and I will meet you here after we search for a cave or something to hide in for now." Ben's voice sounded calmer than he was. But someone had to take charge, and no one else was volunteering. "And remember clean bandages," he added._

_Matt nodded tersely, and led Abigail quickly in the direction of the house. Ben turned to Elizabeth. "I need your help," he whispered softly._

_She blinked. "In addition to what's going on now?" she asked._

_He nodded._

_A sigh slid through her lips, and she led him deeper into the forest. "What do you need help with?" she asked._

_His throat felt dry. "Abigail," he mumbled. "I don't want to lose her without her knowing how I feel."_

_Elizabeth stared him in the eye. "You think I can help you?"_

_Emerald eyes stared back. "Yes. You're one of her closest friends, and you're a girl, so you understand her better."_

"_Do you think you're going to lose her soon?" she asked softly, breaking eye contact._

"_That's the problem. I just don't know anymore. I used to think I had all the time in the world, but now I don't know anything for sure." It scared him to be this open to someone who he didn't trust, really._

_She sighed, and her eyes seemed white in the light. "Fine. I, Elizabeth Lynn Everett, hereby swear to do everything in my power to bring together Ben and Abby. Happy now?"_

_He nodded. It felt nice to have someone on his side. Maybe, just maybe, it could work out after all. If he had been able to see the future, he would have never had been so optimistic._

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_(Grimmjow POV)_

I'm not a big fan of meetings, to tell you the truth. First off, I don't like sitting still for too long 'cause I get restless. Second, I don't like Aizen, because he's a liar and a bastard, and because he likes to smile when he's angry to unsettle you. It's creepy, let me tell you.

"The time has almost come for my plan to be carried out," Aizen said in his smug voice," You have all done wonderfully. The girl is thoroughly under our control."

_Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that, _he thought wickedly. It overjoyed him how overconfident Aizen was when he was wrong.

His gaze locked with mine. "However," he continued, in a tone I learned meant something bad was about to happen," it has come to my attention that a certain person kissed Orihime, despite my clear instructions that you were to be her _friend_."

Son of a bitch. Why couldn't he have found out when Ulquiorra kissed her? Why me?

"Friends with benefits," Nnoitra smirked, as if he was the cleverest person in the world.

I felt trapped. I knew Ulquiorra wouldn't rat me out, as my actions were for the sake of Orihime remembering. Halibel, however, would feel no such hesitation to turn me in. On second thought, maybe Halibel didn't turn me in. Ichimaru probably was watching the cameras in Orihime's room. What was I supposed to say?

"Blame yourself for giving her such a tight dress," I sniped, and saw Ulquiorra roll his eyes slightly.

Apparently Aizen wasn't in his listening mode. "However, I have chosen to be lenient with you. I will not demote you, nor will I punish you. As for the effects your actions have put on the plan, I have modified your role to compensate."

I felt a sick feeling forming in my stomach. "Modified my role…?"

"Yes. Your role is now very similar to Nnoitra's, except this time, Halibel and Ulquiorra will not interfere."

It was all I could do not to vomit. "You want me to rape her?!" I exploded. This could not be happening.

"I wouldn't put it that way, but yes," Aizen answered. "By acting the way you did, you left me no choice but for me to make you an antagonist in her eyes. This works out well, because the emotion trauma will push her closer to me."

"You want me to rape her?!" I yelled again for emphasis

Aizen did his bastard chuckled. "Have some eloquence, Grimmjow," he chided.

I felt absolutely disgusted. There was no way I could do that to Abigail after all that had happened to her with men in the past. But if I didn't, Aizen would know something was going on between me and Orihime, and he might trace it back to Ulquiorra, too. This was a lose-lose situation, definitely.

"Do you have any questions?" Aizen asked.

_Why are you such a sick bastard? _I thought bitterly. But slowly, mechanically, I shook my head.

Aizen smiled. "Very good. You are excused to go do that. The rest of us will remain here a bit longer, to discuss more plans."

In other words, I would get no chance to meet with Ulquiorra before I left. This was going from bad to worse. I rose fluidly, and stalked out of the room, wishing for the millionth time that I was strong enough to wipe that self-satisfied smile off Aizen's face.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_(Ulquiorra's POV)_

This was so unbelievably bad. I cursed Kurosaki for not being faster. Grimmjow was nervous, I could tell as he walked out. He didn't know what to do. In his situation, I probably wouldn't know what to do either.

Aizen went on about something plan-related, but none of the Espada were listening. Time moved painfully slowly as Aizen talked on and on. I kept outwardly calm, not allowing his worry to show on my face.

The meeting was finally dismissed, but by then it was too late to do anything. I didn't even bother walking in Orihime's direction. Everyone dispersed, ready to go on with their lives. I got ready to put my plan into action.

I went to Stark's domain, into a huge room with pillows on the ground. It was universally known that this was Stark's favorite napping spot.

Stark walking in a moment later, and he look surprised to see me here. "Can I help you?" he asked.

Then I explained everything. I told him about Orihime, about our past, and about my desire to get her out of here. It would seem stupid to share your plans to someone who might turn you in, but here's the thing: Stark won't turn me in. Even if he refuses to help me, he won't turn me over to Aizen. He just wouldn't. That's why I needed him. Because, whether he knew it or not, he had a strong connection to Halibel. If I got Stark on my side, I could inadvertently get Halibel as well.

He looked thoughtful. He didn't deny me right away, and I took that as a good sign. I had planted the seed, and he was growing it. I could see him running over details in his head. He sighed. "How complicated," he said. Still not saying no.

"Let me think about it for a bit," he said. "Right now I need to sleep."

I nodded. This had gone perfectly. I bid him farewell, and walked calmly back to my own domain. _Don't worry Orihime, _I thought, _we're going to get you out of here._

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Everyone (not including Grimmjow) was waiting in the ballroom, waiting for the wedding to get started. Me and Stark had a hushed discussion in the corner. He said he would help, and he would try to convince Halibel to help as well. He sounded unsure, as if he wasn't sure he could do it. I was completely sure.

Orihime walked in, doing a very poor job of concealing her angst. She was trying to keep her expression blank, not unlike what I did, but her eyes gave her away. You should see right through those eyes.

She was looking everywhere, probably for me. I wasn't about to give her any hints. I looked at Stark, and he nodded. As soon as Orihime got here, the conversation would be over.

Her eyes found me, and I saw them light up with excitement. It was sweet, really, how happy she got when she saw me. Her eyes were wide, making them easier to read. He saw lust in her eyes, and he noted with satisfaction that it was for him. The tides really had turned in this life.

She made her way toward him, her legs shaking slightly. She was afraid.

She walked up to him, and smiled nicely at Stark. I nodded to Stark, and he nodded back, and left. She searched my eyes, but couldn't find anything. She should know better than to challenge the master of concealment.

"You don't like my dress," she said softly. Only she would be worried about a dress when she was about to married to someone like Aizen.

"Pardon?" I asked in an amused voice, despite hearing her perfectly well. My good mood was showing.

"You don't like my dress," she said with more strength.

Of course I didn't. It was practically the reincarnated 'working dress'.

"You do," I challenged. "You love it because it feels familiar to you, like a second skin, right?" She looked shocked.

"You didn't answer my question," she pointed out weakly.

"Are you surprised by that?" I asked, still not answering the question.

She sighed," Sadly, no. People don't seem to want to answer my questions lately."

I nodded. "All in good time," I promised.

"Take your time," she said, sounding a bit bitter," I'll be here forever."

I almost smiled, thinking about she could be free in any day now. "Alright then."

She scowled childishly. I loved that look on her.

"Where is lord Aizen?" she asked.

I deadpanned. "He's waiting to see you until the ceremony," I began, when the sound of music began to drift through the air," which apparently begins now."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

I walked her down the aisle, then stood next to Stark and Halibel. Grimmjow should've been here. I could only imagine how he was feeling right now. He had weaseled out of raping her by the look of things, but it would still have a bad effect on him.

Tousen, the minister, said the vows, but I doubted anyone was listening. Ichimaru stood next to Aizen, smiling as usual, but he seemed to be thinking about something serious.

"I do," Aizen said. Tousen asked Orihime. She hesitated, looking around hopefully, but eventually gave up. "I do," she said bitterly, hate lacing her tone. Aizen ignored it. And then he kissed her. Somewhere in the far distance, Ulquiorra felt the spiritual pressure of a certain orange-haired deputy Soul Reaper.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N- Hello again. Did anyone like the 'same event different perspective' thing?

Once again, sorry that it was rushed and/or filled with mistakes. Ugh. Too tired to say more.

PLEASE REVIEW!


	15. Chapter 13

A/N- Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

Warning: Violent content

**Chapter 13**

**A Wish is Made, the Rescue Begins**

"_I do," Aizen said. Tousen asked Orihime. She hesitated, looking around hopefully, but eventually gave up. "I do," she said bitterly, hate lacing her tone. Aizen ignored it. And then he kissed her. Somewhere in the far distance, Ulquiorra felt the spiritual pressure of a certain orange-haired deputy Soul Reaper._

The kiss was soft and innocent, but it still made Orihime feel violated. The more time went on, the more she felt resentful towards Aizen. Not for kidnapping her, or even forcing her to marry him. The strange thing, she hated him because of what he was like, not because of what he had done.

Ulquiorra was watching the kiss, and Orihime couldn't find a hint of emotion on his face. He looked empty, like he had when she was first getting to know him. Stark looked thoughtful, not really paying any attention to her.

The kiss broke, and an awkward applause went thought the crowd. Aizen whispered something, but she didn't catch it. Orihime swallowed. She was married. It was over. For the first time in as long as she could remember, Orihime was mad at Ichigo. What was taking him so long? A thought struck her. What if he wasn't coming? What if he and Rukia were back on earth, celebrating being together without worrying about her feelings.

_Next time, Orihime, I will definitely protect you. _No, he would come. Even if he didn't love her like he loved Rukia, she was still his friend. He would rescue her just the same. She put a look of cold confidence on her face. She would endure.

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at her. _My eye sees everything, nothing can escape it. _Did he see through her shell, into her inner anguish? Of course he did. He was the master of cold shells, after all.

"Now, my precious wife, what is it you wish for?" Aizen asked her in a jovial tone that carried a dark undertone. She felt embarrassed all the sudden.

"I have to say it in front of everyone?" she asked in a voice that came out smaller than she intended.

He smiled condescendingly. "Of course, my dear. That way, you can be sure I will fulfill it."

She highly doubted that. She saw what was going on. In front of everyone, she wouldn't wish for what she needed, like what Okashii had suggested, and she would end up wishing for her friends' safety, which wouldn't do anything. He had trapped her. She hurriedly ran over other ideas in her head. It would be suspicious to ask for a week-long vacation to the real world with Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. She wondered where Okashii was now, now that she needed her. No voice in her head, no sight of her friend.

"I wish for… a chance to say goodbye to my friends if they come here for me," she said finally. A dark delight seemed to flash in Aizen's eyes, and she wished she could take back the words. Why hadn't she wished for a puppy?

"Very well, darling," he said. "If your friends come, we will lead them to you so you may say goodbye."

He slid a ring onto her finger, and she slid one on his. She was sure they were beautiful, but she couldn't see it. All she saw was a chain binding her to him.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Grimmjow sat in his room, bored out of his mind. He had been uninvited to the wedding, on the grounds that he had raped the bride. Aizen wasn't an idiot. He would be able to tell if Orihime had actually been raped.

"_Ow. Ow. Oh dear god, it hurts."_

He stiffened. Did he just hear that in his head? "Who the hell are you?" he demanded out loud.

"_So… painful. Damn it, Matt."_

"Elizabeth?" he asked, feeling very confused.

"_The one and only, love."_

"How the hell are you talking to me? You're dead!" he yelled in confusion.

"_Inside voices, please. You have no idea how bad of a headache making a link wi__th someone as powerful as you gives me."_

"A link?" he asked.

"_Yes, that is my ability. I can create links where I can communicate with people from their minds__ and see and hear whatever they do. The thing is, though, the more powerful the person, the more painful it is to maintain the link. And you're really powerful, love."_

"You never mentioned this while you were my fraccion," he said. "And stop calling me love."

"_Whatever, jerk."_

"Which brings us back to the question," Grimmjow said in an annoyed voice," how are you talking to me while you're dead?"

"… _I'm in Soul Society."_

"Are you a soul reaper?" he asked.

"_No... I'm just a soul who maintained a bit of my old powers."_

"Then how are we talking, if you only maintained a bit of your power?"

"_I, um, sort of borrowed some power from this soul reaper guy."_

"What does that mean?"

"_I bit him and sucked his energy out. I think I took too much though, because now he's unconscious."_

"That's weird even for you," he claimed. "This is just great. You're our strongest support at the moment, and you had to go die. Idiot."

"_Actually, you guys have another ally you don't even know about yet."_

"And who would that be?"

"_I don't want to tell you."_

"Why the hell not?" he yelled.

"_Inside voices, damn it! If I tell you now, it will ruin it."_

"I hate you. You know that right?"

"_Yeah, well, go jack off asshole. I have to go, anyway. I need to be at the wedding. I've had a link with Yammy since before I even died. That's how I stay in the know about Espada matters. Good thing he's not powerful." _

"Plan on dropping by my head again?"

"_No. I'm focusing on Abby from now on. Oh, and tell the White King that if he's doing what I think he's doing, that he's doing a good job. Bye."_

"Wait, what? You mean Ulquiorra? What is he doing?" There was no response. Grimmjow seethed. He honestly hated her sometimes.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Orihime had left the wedding ceremony and was resting in her room. She had changed out of her dress for the time being. The 'honeymoon' would begin in a couple of hours, much to her chagrin. This was the last time she would be in this room. Soon she would live in the same chambers as Aizen. That was a truly scary thought.

She stared at the ring. It really was beautiful, she noticed now. It had a thin gold band, with engraved design in it. A cluster of fire opal surrounded a large diamond, with winked and sparkled in the moonlight. This ring's value would be huge back on earth, that was for sure.

She heard a loud crash, and she immediately tensed. There was a dark spiritual pressure, so rough and fierce it weighed down on her. It was near her room, and it felt dangerous. Another crash, this time closer to her, and a scream of pain from what sounded like a young girl. The door to her room exploded, and she cover herself with a shield as the pieces flew at her.

Her eyes squeezed shut, reflex rather than need. When she opened them, she nearly fainted. Standing before her, in all his glory, was Ichigo Kurosaki. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't talk, but that was okay. This moment didn't need words.

She broke the orange shield in front of her, and rushed towards him. She was unspeakably surprised when he backhanded her across the face, sending her to the ground. She held her hurt cheek, staring at shock at Ichigo. His eyes shone in a dark light, and she could swear his irises shifted to gold, looking like a hollow. She shrank back.

"W…Why?" She asked, her voice breaking. She followed his gaze, which was on her ostentatious ring. She felt the blood drain from her face.

"Who?" Ichigo demanded roughly, his hang gripping his unsheathed zanpakuto.

She started to cry. "Aizen… He made me do it!" she cried. Through her tears, she saw Ichigo's face darken.

"Aizen?" he yelled, pure hate lacing his voice. She sincerely hoped it was directed at Aizen.

"I didn't have choice," she tried to explain. Ichigo silenced her with a glare. He stepped toward her, until her towered over her. She was still on the floor.

"You are so stupid!" he screamed. "Do you even know what happened? Rukia got hurt while we were here. Rukia got hurt trying to rescue you, and you've been busy marrying the enemy? What else did you do with him?"

"Rukia… is hurt?" she asked in horror. No one should have to get hurt for her sake. "I can heal her. Is she near?"

"Like hell I would let Rukia near you! You'd probably kill her."

She shook her head fervently. "I would never!" she promised, her eyes begging his trust.

"Shut up! You're an enemy now. You really are a traitor. Rukia got hurt because of you!" He grabbed her by her collar, dragging her up to eye level.

She didn't know what to do. He had finally come for her, a dream come true, and it had turned into a nightmare.

He shook her roughly. "Haven't you ever heard of resisting? Refusing their demands? Courage?"

"Put her down!"

Ichigo and Orihime looked at the door, where a girl stood, clutching her bleeding shoulder. Orihime realized with horror that it was Okashii.

"Back for more?" Ichigo sneered.

Orihime paled. The scream of pain…

"Put her down!" Okashii yelled again, her voice strained.

Ichigo tossed Orihime to the ground, and advanced toward her friend. Orihime watched as the events unfolded almost in slow motion: _Ichigo swinging his sword. Okashii trying to dodge. The blade connecting with her leg. Her falling to the ground, howling in pain. Ichigo poising Zangetsu for the final blow. The final blow being delivered._

Orihime screamed.

Ichigo pulled his blade, still in shikai, out of Okashii's limp body. There was blood everywhere. Orihime could believe her eyes. Why was Ichigo being like this?

"You where always in the way," Ichigo said softly. "Anyone can heal, and we needed fighters. We never should have let you come to Soul Society. But we wanted to indulge you, because you're just a ditzy girl who's been chasing me for who knows how long. It was a mistake. You are a mistake."

Grief crashed through her, making her entire body rack with sobs. The truth was raining down on her, and it burned her like acid. Why? She already knew everything he was saying. But he was the one saying them. He was the person she had wanted to love her, even if she didn't lover herself. But it was clear that wasn't going to happen. She wasn't lovable.

_Lord Aizen thinks you are beautiful and precious. _It seems he was alone in that judgment.

"Please believe me," she begged. "I really am your friend."

"No."

One word, only two letters, stabbed her in the heart. It tore at her insides, leaving her bleeding all the hurt out. She couldn't handle this. She couldn't handle herself.

"Okay," she whispered hoarsely. "But please tell Rukia that I'm so sorry. Tell her she's been an amazing friend." She lifted her head and looked him in the eye. "You've been an amazing friend."

He raised his blade. "Don't ever say Rukia's name again, you traitorous bitch!"

She flinched. He moved closer, his sword shining malevolently in the pale moonlight. She didn't want to die by his hands. She wouldn't die by his hand. She placed her hands on her hairpins and chanted," Mutsuten Itenshun, I reject." Her shield swirled around her, and she saw Ichigo's eyes widen. Before she flashed out of the room she whispered," Goodbye."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Incidentally, she landed in Aizen's room. He looked surprised to see her, but he looked more worried when he saw her tears. "What happened?" he asked softly, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Just the pain of saying goodbye," she lied. She buried her face into his shoulder.

Unbeknownst to her, Aizen smiled widely and wickedly. "I'm so sorry," he whispered in her ear. Her response was muffled by his shoulder.

She lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. He stared back.

"What happens now?" she repeated.

"You said goodbye, and now we must remove them from Los Noches," he said slowly. "If it would comfort you, we won't use lethal force."

She blinked then smiled. "Thank you so much!" She wrapped her arms around him, taking great comfort in the fact that her friends could leave alive.

"Bear in mind that when the war comes, we will have no choice but to fight them."

She nodded. "I know, I'm just happy they get to live a little longer."

He looked deep into her eyes. "Are you ready for our honeymoon?"

She swallowed. Was she? She had no reason not to be. Ichigo wasn't going to save her. She would be here forever and ever, never growing older. She nodded. She had nothing to lose.

He kissed her sweetly, and she felt nothing. She kissed him back anyway. She didn't care anymore. All hope had been lost, so why resist? She was married now. It was okay for married people to do stuff like this. She had no reason to feel guilty, so she wouldn't.

"_Hey Orihime," _Okashii's voice chirped in her mind, _"How are y—Oh my god! What the hell are you going?"_

"How are you still talking to me?" Orihime thought. "You died!"

"_Yeah… So, you know about that?"_

How wouldn't she know? She had been there. "It's all my fault," she thought miserably.

"_Don't feel bad. I don't blame you."_

"Yeah," she thought," but you still died trying to protect me."

"_Sure, but I don't mind. Being dead isn't that bad, except I still need to find somewhere to hide this unconscious dude…"_

"What?" she gasped out loud on accident. Aizen stared at her quizzically. "What are you doing?" she covered up lamely.

"I know it feel strange to you," he said slowly," but trust me. I won't hurt you." She nodded.

"What unconscious guy?" she thought.

"_Not important. What the hell are you doing?"_

"I'm having my honeymoon with my husband," she thought.

"_Yeah, I can see that. Does no one listen to my advice anymore?"_

"I couldn't follow you advice!" she thought. "People were watching!"

"_Yeah, well I'm watching now, and it's disgusting. Do you have the slightest idea how old he is?"_

"Would you mind leaving?" she thought. "I don't feel comfortable with you here."

"_No way! I'm not going to let you do this! I have a promise to keep, you know." _

"What promise?" she thought.

"_I'll tell you later. I'm leaving, but this isn't over! I will stop this from happening!"_

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_Meanwhile:_

Ichigo ran through the halls of Los Noches, a young arrancar named Nell hanging from his shoulder. He felt like Kenpachi.

He ran through the maze-like hallways, wondering where Orihime would be kept. Would it be behind that gray door? That other gray door? Or maybe she was behind one of the other millions of gray doors in this place. He seriously hoped everyone else was having better luck than her was. The stark white walls were giving him a major headache.

He rounded yet another corner and came into a large room that was almost completely empty. Almost because in the corner stood a tall figure.

"Yo," Grimmjow said flippantly.

Ichigo grabbed his sword and drew it defensively in front of him. Nell stared in fear. "Thexta Ethpada, Mathter Grimmjow…" she whispered.

"Get back Nell! I'll protect you!" Ichigo promised. Nell slid off his shoulder and retreated to the corner opposite of Grimmjow.

"Yeah, this all wonderful and crap, but I'm not actually here to fight you," Grimmjow said in the same offhand tone.

Ichigo blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"Okay, I'll try to use monosyllabic words. I. AM. NOT. HERE. TO. FIGHT. YOU."

Ichigo was still confused, but he got the feeling he was being insulted. "Then what do you want, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow pushed himself off the wall. Ichigo tensed, but Grimmjow just walked to the other side of the room and hit the wall. The segment opened, revealing a passage way. "If you want to rescue Orihime, then follow me. And you sure as hell better keep up, because I'm not stopping."

He disappeared down the dark secret corridor.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N- Sorry this chapter is so short, rushed, and filled with mistakes. This week I was really sick. I also found out my dad has cancer, and needs surgery, so I haven't been able to find the words to write. But I made you guys a promise, and I'm going to keep it. Thank you so very much for reading this far. It means the world to me. Please leave a review.


	16. Chapter 14

A/N- Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

Warning: Aisuhime sucks at writing fight scenes. Consider yourself warned.

**Chapter 14**

**The Rescue Continues, a Desperate Struggle**

_Grimmjow pushed himself off the wall. Ichigo tensed, but Grimmjow just walked to the other side of the room and hit the wall. The segment opened, revealing a passage way. "If you want to rescue Orihime, then follow me. And you sure as hell better keep up, because I'm not stopping."_

_He disappeared down the dark secret corridor._

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_Earlier:_

Ulquiorra was walking down the hallway towards a destination he wasn't aware of. He wasn't use to this lack of purpose. He had felt a strong depression since he had felt Orihime's spiritual energy in Aizen's room. Had she fallen under the spell? She was in such a weakened state, she was too easy to manipulate.

"_Ow," _a familiar voice moaned pitifully.

"Elizabeth?" he questioned out loud. Hearing dead people was never a good sign.

"_Please don't talk. I think my head is going to explode."_

Ulquiorra stayed dutifully silent.

"_Thanks, Ben. You always were more considerate than Matt." _

"How are you doing this?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"_I can't explain. You're too powerful. Find Matt, it's very important. He'll explain my situation. You guys have to stop Abigail! She's going to-"_

"I know," he said coldly.

"_Then do something about it! Manipulate what's-his-face into stopping them!"_

"That could work…" Ulquiorra murmured. He should have thought of that.

"_Great fun. Now I have to go before I pass out from the pain. Consider this me keeping my promise, oh majestic White King. This is White Horse, signing out."_

"What?" he asked, but got no reply. That girl got weirder every time she died.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

He had run the idea over with Grimmjow, and they decided that Grimmjow would be a better candidate for talking to Kurosaki. They arranged for Grimmjow to wait in a large room where Kurosaki would most likely end up in soon if he followed the path he currently was. If they could get Kurosaki to follow him down the hidden hallway, they were set.

Ulquiorra knew that his inactivity was important for their plan, but it still killed him inside. He wanted to do something, anything to help.

He walked down the hallway, planning to go back to his domain. A voice stopped him. "Don't move, Arrancar!" it commanded.

He turned slowly, his face perfectly apathetic. It was that girl, the soul reaper, with black hair and amethyst eyes. She stood with her sword drawn, looking determined. The sight was laughable.

He walked right up to her, not moving towards his sword. She immediately stepped back and swung her sword. It bounced weakly off his hierro. He raised his spiritual pressure just enough to let her know that any more attack attempts would be futile. She paled.

"You are here for Orihime Inoue, correct?" he asked her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but only a strangled noise came out. She nodded. He keyed down his spiritual pressure, and she gasped in relief.

"Yes, I will rescue my friend!" The girl, Rukia, if he was correct, yelled now that she had caught her breath.

He had to admit she was brave, yelling at an enemy considerably stronger than her. Either that or she was just stupid.

"Well, that changes everything." He said. He had known that from the start, of course, but he figured that this was the best way to convince them of his loyalty to Orihime.

"What do mean?" she asked suspiciously.

"If you were just an invader, I would kill you right where you stand. But if you're here to rescue Orihime, then I won't hurt you."

"…What?" She looked confused. "Is this some kind of trick?"

He walked past her, indicating for her to follow. She reluctantly did. "This doesn't mean I trust you," she informed him haughtily.

"Fair enough," he replied.

He led her to a room, very similar to the one Grimmjow currently occupied. He opened the hidden door and made an 'after you' gesture. She bristled.

"No. There's no way I'm going into a dark hallway with you. I told you I didn't trust you."

He sighed. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned that he wouldn't hurt her yet. She seemed to take that as an indication that she could say whatever she wanted to him.

"Very well, don't rust me. Ignore the fact that, at this moment, she's being taken advantage of by Aizen. But, by all means, don't trust me. I'm sure she'll understand," he said dryly.

"Aizen?" Rukia exploded. "How could that pig do such a thing to someone like Orihime?"

"Don't concern yourself with the how. Focus on what you can do to help."

She looked torn. "But, you could be lying…"

"Yes, I certainly could be. If it makes you feel better, I'll tell you exactly what is down that hallway."

She waited.

"His name is Aaroniero, the ninth Espada. In order to save Orihime, you need to fight and preferably defeat him."

"…Preferably?" she asked dubiously.

He nodded, a bit impatient suddenly. He wanted to hurry, get Orihime without a second wasted. And if this girl wouldn't help him… No. He wouldn't hurt Orihime's friends. He wouldn't hurt her.

"The goal is to distract Aizen long enough to convince him that his plan isn't working as well as it should. If you make your fight dramatic enough, use a lot of spirit energy and cause a fair deal of destruction, he'll start doubting the Espada's ability to defend. When he gets desperate, we'll distract him and your group can escape," he explained.

"Who's 'we'? She asked.

"Me, Grimmjow, and a few other Espada."

Her eyes widened. "Grimmjow ran his hand through my stomach," she informed him coldly, seeming to edge away.

"He won't anymore," Ulquiorra said, hoping it was true. Grimmjow was too impulsive for him to be sure.

She looked from Ulquiorra to the hallway and back again. She didn't say another word, just turned and ran down the hallway. She didn't seem to want to waste time either.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Chad was running through the white halls, his armor covering his arm. He was ready in an instant should and enemy attack, and he was keeping his attention sharp.

"_Yo. What's up?"_ a cheerful voice chimed in what he believed was his head. He stopped running.

"Who are you?" he thought.

"_A very happy camper. You have __nice spirit energy. Anyway, I'm a ghost who wants to give you some advice." _The voice, female for sure, sounded even happier.

He waited.

"_Strong and silent type, huh? I can respect that. So you're trying to save Orihime Inoue, right?"_ The voice asked.

"Yes," he thought simply.

"_Yeah, Orihime and I go way back. Anyway, I'm going to need you to follow my instructions so you can save her more quickly, okay?"_

He wondered what way back meant.

"_No time to explain. Just go to the room I tell you to and defeat the guy__, Yammy, I send after you."_

"Who are you?" he asked in his mind.

"_I'm a frickin' ghost! A kindred spirit, trying to help out an old friend. Now can we please move on from the phase where you distrust me to the phase where you listen to me?" _The voice sounded annoyed now.

"Okay," he said simply.

"_I like you. You're a lot nicer than the people I normally hang out with."_

The strange voice led him to a big room, a good room for fighting in. The voice explained all the unfair advantages the room gave him. A pillar of the roof was weak; he could knock it down. The floor in a spot was very slick; he could lead his opponent there to make him slip.

He had ambivalent feelings about the room. He would normally be against such tactics, but he knew that Orihime's life could hang in the balance if he didn't hurry.

A few minutes later, a tall, broad man came into the room, his lighting up when he saw Chad. "Well if it isn't the little bug whose arm I tore apart," the guy chuckled. "Come back for more?"

He didn't answer. He charged his energy in his arm, sending it into his enemy. Yammy dodged it, but Chad jumped to the side instantly and shot of another blast. This one connected with Yammy's side.

Yammy swung his fist, and almost knocked Chad's head off. He dragged his sword out, swinging it madly and without much tactic. He was right below the loose pillar. Without thinking, he sent a blast into the loose piece, sending it falling onto the unfortunate Espada. He had miscalculated the energy needed, and a good part of the wall collapsed too.

"Bastard!" came a cry from under the rubble. A red burst of cero blasted through the fallen roof, sending Chad flying. He rammed against the opposite wall, coughing painfully.

They went back and forth like this, neither one gaining a clear advantage. Chad felt something bubbling inside him, ready to get out. It felt dark, dangerous, and struggled to contain it, for fear of what it might be. He continued to fight.

Time was blurring, passing minutes could've been seconds. He was hurt, as was Yammy, but Yammy showed signs of having more stamina. Chad wondered how long he could keep this up.

Yammy blipped behind him, sending a punch right into the back of his head. HE felt a sharp pain, but at the same time, something in him settled. He felt a flow of energy to his left arm.

"Brazo Izquierda del Diablo," he said instinctively, and his left arm was covered in a white armor with a red strap. He shot of energy from the arm. It moved super fast, hitting his enemy with brutal force. Hi powers, hollow-like, were at home here. He would not lose.

"La Muerte," he said. He rammed his fist into Yammy's stomach, against a wall, and sent a skull indent into it. He had won.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Aizen was seething inside. He could feel his Espada losing. How powerful had the girl's friends gotten? He couldn't get ignore it. "I'm sorry Orihime," he murmured. "I have to go."

She looked up at him, her eyes looking strange in the light. "All right," she said simply. He slid away.

He needed to monitor the situation. If his Espada lost… he was done for. It wouldn't happen. He would win. He always won.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Ichigo came out of the hallway, wincing from the bright light reflected from the white walls. He looked around for Grimmjow, but couldn't find him. Had Grimmjow ditched him? He supposed it was better than trying to attack him. But now he wasn't sure what to do.

"Yo," a new voice said. Ichigo turned around and saw a tall, lanky arrancar coming towards him. His weapon was a huge double crescent scythe that looked familiar with killing.

He tensed, but Nell all but froze. "Ichigo… don't do this," she warned, her voice shaking. Her eyes never left the eye of the enemy.

"Don't worry Nell, I'll protect you," he promised, brandishing Zangetsu.

Nnoitra smirked in reply. "So Nell, you finally made your way back?"

Ichigo faltered. "Huh?"

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Ulquiorra and Grimmjow made their way to Aizen's domain, where Orihime was. Both were gravely silent, very aware of the risk if they should get caught. Grimmjow's even breathing sounded forced, and Ulquiorra could tell he was itching to get back at Ichigo. He was amazed at Grimmjow's self-control thus far.

They barged in, well past knocking at this point. Orihime was on Aizen's bed, still clothed, much to both of their relief. She gasped as they entered, wrapping the covers around her.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, sounding more flustered than angry.

Ulquiorra opened his mouth to answer, but Grimmjow beat him to it. "We're here to kidnap you. Fun, right?"

Ulquiorra glared. "Must you?"

Grimmjow nodded. "Yeah, it's a must."

Orihime cleared her throat. "What do you two want with me?" she demanded again, trying to sound queenly and authoritative.

Grimmjow burst into laughter, and even stoic Ulquiorra cracked a small smirk and chuckled. Her attempt was laughable, to be honest.

She scowled.

"_Way to go, White Queen! Girl power!" _Okashii laughed in her head.

Her scowl deepened.

"_By the way, I told you so. I told you I was going to stop you did I not?"_

"What's wrong?" Ulquiorra asked.

She hesitated. "Do you guys ever hear a voice in your head?" she asked shyly.

They glanced at each other. "Okashii," they said at the same time.

She nodded.

Ulquiorra walked up beside her. "We're going to rescue you," he said. "We're getting you out of here."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N- Sorry this chapter is **so** short, rushed, and filled with mistakes. I have a monster of a headache. Aisuhime **really **doesn't like to write fight scenes.

For those who are wondering, here is who our rescue gang is fighting:

Ichigo and Nell: Nnoitra (very similar to the manga except that Ichigo isn't tired and wounded from a long fight with Grimmjow)

Rukia: Aaroniero (exactly like the manga, expect that a secret passage leads her to him)

Chad: Yammy (Take his fight with the Privion Espada and insert Yammy. Same power-discovery events)

Uryuu and Renji: Szayel Aporro (I don't even mention them because their fight is identical to the one is the anime/manga, and I don't want to uselessly describe a fight)

Barragan and Zommari will fight later. Until then, please leave a review.


	17. Chapter 15 Part 1

A/N- Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

Warning: Aisuhime sucks at writing fight scenes. Consider yourself warned. ALSO, the timeline is totally messed up. Just try to ignore it if you can.

FYI: A lot of people were wondering last chapter about the two different Ichigos. The first one was an illusion by Aizen. More detail on that later.

**Chapter 15 Pt. 1**

**The End of the Line, Unlikely help**

_She hesitated. "Do you guys ever hear a voice in your head?" she asked shyly._

_They glanced at each other. "Okashii," they said at the same time._

_She nodded._

_Ulquiorra walked up beside her. "We're going to rescue you," he said. "We're getting you out of here."_

Orihime blinked once, then again, her mind frozen. Her brain couldn't process the word rescue, not coming from them. She couldn't believe it. Luckily for her, she didn't have to.

Grimmjow walked right up to her, hauling her out of the bed and tossing he over his shoulder. Her mind started up again.

"G-g-Grimmjow! What're you doing?" she demanded shakily, blushing heavily.

"I figured as long as you were taking your sweet time sorting things out, we could make some headway on the 'saving you' thing," he snorted meanly. "Got a problem with that?"

She scowled indignantly.

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. These two would never change.

"Let's go," he said simply. Grimmjow nodded.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

Ulquiorra replied," You'll understand soon enough. Do you trust us?"

She laughed ironically. "I _shouldn't_, seeing as how you guys are the enemy, but I honestly can't help but trust you guys. I have no idea why."

"Don't worry, we're trustworthy guys," Grimmjow answered," We just tend to lie for our own gain." They left the room, Orihime on Grimmjow's shoulder.

"That's not trustworthy," she pointed out.

"No, that's dishonest. Very different. If we say something like,' Abigail was a former Espada' we're probably lying. If we say we're going to save you, you can damn well trust us," Grimmjow corrected.

"So Abigail being an Espada _was_ a lie!" Orihime exclaimed. "I knew it!"

"Of course it was," Ulquiorra inputted. "If we had told you the truth about Abigail right away, Aizen would have known about it when he read your mind."

Orihime froze. "When he… what?"

Ulquiorra answered," He can reach into your mind and pull out memories to use to fuel his illusions. In this case, the illusion was something unpleasant with your friends, correct?"

Orihime felt burning relief. "So Ichigo doesn't hate me?" Tears of joy and relief welled up in her large eyes.

Grimmjow sighed noisily. "Can we save the tears for the reunion?"

She wiped her eyes, a huge smile now set on her face. It never left her as they walked.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

_Later:_

Ichigo had finally defeated Nnoitra. Of course, he owed his success to Nell, who was back in child form after overstraining herself during the fight. He still couldn't believe that the innocent little girl he had carried on his shoulder all this time had actually been the third Espada.

And he _really _couldn't believe she was actually a _grown_ woman. He blushed a bit. That was the last thing he had expected.

He, once more, cursed his seeming inability to sense people's spirit energy. How on earth was he going rescue Orihime? Where the hell had the 'kind-hearted' Grimmjow gone? Wasn't he supposed to be helping? He sighed. Why had he been so stupid to take the _enemy's _word for gospel?

He sprinted down the halls again, yelling for Orihime. It wasn't the smartest move while in an enemy base, sure, but Ichigo had long since decided to stop opening every single gray door he passed. He'd grow old before he was halfway done.

"Orihime!" he yelled again.

Great. At this rate he'd rate he'd lose his voice in no time. This was so much harder than Soul Society. At least he'd been able to find out Rukia's location by threatening the enemy…

And what was stopping him now? God, he was _such _an idiot! Why not find out where Orihime is from one of the enemies?

A small, weak-looking arrancar was coming down the hall at this very second. Ichigo ducked behind a large white pillar, waiting. As soon as the arrancar had past him, Ichigo leapt at him and pinned him to the wall, holding him loosely by the throat. It wasn't even enough to cut of his breathing. The arrancar looked terrified anyway.

"Where is Orihime Inoue being kept?" he growled, trying to sound menacing.

The skinny boy arrancar looked menaced. "Her room is s-seventeen doors d-down from here," he stammered," on the l-left." His eyes squeezed shut, as if expecting to be killed now that he was no longer useful. Ichigo sighed in disgust at Aizen's way of rule.

He let the little guy go, even went so far as to pat him on the shoulder and say thank you. The boy looked absolutely confused.

He ran down the hall again counting out seventeen of the spaced doors. When he finally reached it and, considerate friend he was, burst through the door, he realized that Orihime wasn't here.

He slouched. Had the arrancar lied to him? No. Orihime had definitely been here at one point. Her spirit energy clung to the walls, and he scent, light and floral, hung in the air. But where was she now?

He shook himself. He had to keep looking. Standing around wondering wouldn't rescue his friend. He set off again.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Ulquiorra froze. He felt to spirit forces making their way toward Orihime, Grimmjow, and him. He distinguished them as Zommari and Barragan.

He cursed silently. Grimmjow could take Zommari, no problem. Ulquiorra had utmost faith in him. But Barragan ranked above himself, even if it was only one rank, and he couldn't afford to leave Orihime unguarded. He cursed again.

His eyes met Grimmjow's. "You have to get Abigail out of here."

Grimmjow looked confused at first, but soon he too sensed their enemies, and his eyes hardened. "No way! I'm not leaving you, you suicidal bastard!" Orihime slept blissfully on his shoulder.

"We need to get her out of here," he repeated.

Grimmjow snorted. "Why? There are two of them and two of us. Zommari is a weakling for frick's sake!"

Ulquiorra answered," We can risk her getting hurt while we're distracted."

Grimmjow looked conflicted. He glanced at the girl on his shoulder, then at his brother. He was torn between the two loyalties.

"Let's stash Abby behind a pillar or something. No one can hurt her if she's hidden, right?" Grimmjow said after a few moments of deliberation.

Ulquiorra shook his head. "If we lose, then Abigail is too vulnerable, and her friends may not find her in time. It's relying too heavily on the X-factor, which is whether or not we'll win."

"So what the hell do you want me to do?" Grimmjow demanded. "Leave you here to die? Hell no! We fight together, same as always."

"Yes, because that worked so great last time," Ulquiorra commented dryly.

"Abigail's death wasn't our fault," Grimmjow hissed.

"You're right," Ulquiorra agreed," it was mine. I am the reason she died."

"No, you aren't." Grimmjow argued, his bow furrowing angrily. "When are you going to accept that it wasn't your fault?"

"I almost killed her!" Ulquiorra hissed back, angrier than he remembered ever being before. He was angry at himself, at Aizen, at her friends for being _so slow._ He felt out of control. Try as he might, he couldn't seem to get a grip on himself.

"Well, you didn't!" he shot back.

"I would have if you hadn't stopped me."

"Congratulations. We spent this entire time arguing and now the Terror Twins are almost here. We need to make a decision!"

"We can help with that," a new voice said. Stark walked up, Halibel in tow. The latter glared at them.

"I'm not interested in fighting," Stark continued, leaning against the wall," but I could get the girl to her friends."

Halibel looked at the sleeping Orihime, a bit of genuine worry in her eyes.

Ulquiorra nodded in thanks, relief visible on his face. Grimmjow handed Orihime over to Stark, and the girl didn't even stir. This girl was an inhuman sleeper, that much hadn't changed.

"Halibel," Stark said softly, totally calm," while I'm moving, keep a constant perimeter around me. Let me know if anyone gets too close."

"I understand," she said simply.

They didn't get far before the Exequias caught up with them.

"This is bad," Stark said calmly as they surrounded them. "The Exequias are our level; they need to be to take care of renegade Espada."

Halibel nodded back. They stood motionless for a few moments before Stark asked softly," Would you care to do the honors of beginning it?"

She nodded again, and began her attack. She became a blur of movement, striking so quickly that her feet barely found purchase before they launched her off towards her next opponent.

Stark, holding Orihime firmly in one arm, lifted the other, a red glow gathering at his fingertip. He sonido-ed behind them and released the cero. About a fourth of them fell.

Ulquiorra wasn't having quite as good of luck. Barragan had well-earned the rank of third Espada and Ulquiorra couldn't stop for a second to release his sword. They clashes swords again.

"Wouldn't have thought _you'd _be the one to defect," Barragan laughed dryly. "You think you know a guy…"

Ulquiorra didn't dare answer, didn't dare avert his attention from staying alive. One mistake was all it took to end a life.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N- Wow. This chapter is SOOO late. And it isn't even complete. is shot Anyway, part 2 will be up soon. Expect in to take a few days, though. So sorry!


	18. Chapter 15 Part 2

A/N- Please leave a review telling me how I can improve, or any errors I made. I will try to write characters as in character as possible, but I might have to bend them a little for the sake of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

Warning: Aisuhime sucks at writing fight scenes. Consider yourself warned. ALSO, the timeline is totally messed up. Just try to ignore it if you can.

Thank you so much to everyone who left nice words for part one, despite my not deserving it at all. You guys are so great. I hope you enjoy part two.

**Chapter 15 Pt. 2**

**The End of the Line, Unlikely help**

_Ulquiorra wasn't having quite as good of luck. Barragan had well-earned the rank of third Espada and Ulquiorra couldn't stop for a second to release his sword. They clashed swords again._

"_Wouldn't have thought you'd be the one to defect," Barragan laughed dryly. "You think you know a guy…"_

_Ulquiorra didn't dare answer didn't dare avert his attention from staying alive. One mistake was all it took to end a life._

Orihime was dancing through a meadow, filled with wild flowers. They swayed with the breeze and filled the air with their sweet scent. Orihime felt so peaceful, as if in this small meadow, everything was right with the world. _Almost everything. _Something was missing._ No_, she corrected herself, _someone was missing_. But who? Who belonged in her dream world with her? She clawed for an answer but came up blank.

"Well, someone is happy," a familiar voice called wryly from the sky. Orihime looked up and saw a girl her age sitting in the high branches of a nearby tree. _Not the sky, silly, _she chided herself.

"Elizabeth!" she called. Where had the name come from? It wasn't the name she matched with the girl in her mind. The girl's name was Okashii. Yet Elizabeth felt right.

Elizabeth smiled. "It's nice to hear you say that." Her smile turned sad. "But you don't mean it. You still don't know."

Orihime wasn't sure what she was talking about, but she suddenly felt really bad. "I'm sorry." Whatever it was, it was tearing Elizabeth up.

Elizabeth didn't quite match the Okashii in her mind. Her hair should be a bright green, not dirty blonde. There should be a white bone fragment around her eye, but there wasn't. She was so confused.

"Don't fight it," Elizabeth said softly," Don't try to reason through it. You have to let go, Abby."

That name, Abby felt so right, it hurt Orihime. There was a story behind that name, and it called to her. She tried to reach out to it, but it danced right out her reach.

"How?" she asked simply.

Elizabeth jumped down from the tree she was sitting in, landing gracefully. She smiled up, still sad, but hopeful. "Let's find out together."

This girl, Elizabeth, lead her as they ran through the meadow, and they laughed and danced. They let go, just as she had said. And for the first time in a long time, Abby smiled.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Ichigo finally felt spirit energy. It would be fairly difficult not to, and it exploded strongly from multiple sources from his left. He ran off towards it, hoping that whatever it was would lead him to Orihime.

He reached the source and found himself very confused. Where the Espada fighting themselves? His eyes could barely track their movements. He stood back, not wanting to get caught in the middle of whatever this was.

Until he saw Orihime in the arms of one of the Espada, of course. Then he suddenly wanted very much to be in the middle of this.

He leapt at the guy holding Orihime, who had to have been unconscious. There was no way someone could sleep through that. However, he was intercepted by Grimmjow, who tackled him to the ground.

"You idiot!" Grimmjow hissed, his enemy lying motionlessly on the ground. "He's on our side for fuck's sake!"

"_Our _side?!" Ichigo demanded. "You all are the enemy here! I can't believe I even thought to trust you a little bit!"

Grimmjow growled. "How stupid are you? We needed you to fight Nnoitra so we could rescue Ab--… Orihime."

Ichigo stopped. "Why do you want to rescue Orihime?"

Grimmjow replied vaguely," She'll explain later. We need to get her out fast before—". A wall exploded and in walked Ichimaru and Tousen, swords drawn.

"—reinforcements arrive," Grimmjow finished angrily.

Ichigo drew his sword. "Whatever. I'm here now, so I'll take them." He nodded towards Ichimaru and Tousen.

"Don't flatter yourself, Kurosaki," Grimmjow snorted. "You don't stand a chance against them."

"He's right, Ichigo."

Ichigo froze. _Orihime_? He spun and saw her out of the Espada's hold, standing on her own, albeit a bit shakily.

She smiled at him, looking at peace. "You don't need to endanger yourself anymore for my sake. I've found my own way."

Ichigo was in shock. "Orihime, you can't possibly go against one of them!"

"Don't worry. I'm not fighting alone." She turned to Ichimaru. "Okashii says thank you."

Ichimaru smiled. "My pleasure. Shoot to kill, Shinso." His sword ran towards Orihime, and she smiled placidly.

"Orihime!" Ichigo, Ulquiorra, and Grimmjow yelled at the same time.

"Mutsuten Itenshun, I reject," she said, her smile never faltering. Orange swirled around his sword, transporting it instantly. With no way to predict it, Tousen fell as the still-extending sword was teleported behind him. It happened so fast, no one seemed to get what had happened until a few moments later.

Ulquiorra and Grimmjow let out a shaky breath or relief. Ichigo just stood there, confused. What had Orihime just done?

He didn't have time to dwell on it. Barragan, apparently sick of being ignored, unleashed an immeasurably powerful cero blast at the three men.

Orihime's smile disappeared instantly. "No!" she screamed. "Mutsuten Itenshun, I reject!" Orange wrapped around the blast a millisecond before it hit them, sending it hurdling towards its sender.

Orihime shook from the effort. Her legs looked ready to give out from under her. After a second, they did. She hit the ground, hard. She lay there, motionless.

"Orihime!" Ichigo called at the same time Ulquiorra and Grimmjow called, "Abby!"

Ichigo ran forward, but Ulquiorra beat him there. He scooped her up in his arms, holding her close to him.

"Ben," the name slipped from her mouth. He clutched her tighter.

"You remembered," he whispered disbelievingly. Grimmjow stared.

"Yeah," she murmured. "Everything makes sense. You, Matt, Elizabeth, everything."

"No," he said fiercely. "You don't know everything yet. Don't you dare give up!"

"But…" she murmured, sounding far away," I'm so tired."

"Abby!" Grimmjow yelled. "Don't give in! It took us this long to find you!"

"I'm sorry Ben, I'm sorry Matt," she whispered, going limp.

"Hell no," a foreign voice came from her lips. "You aren't done yet." Her eyes snapped open, but it wasn't her. She wasn't herself.

"Elizabeth?" Ulquiorra asked in shock.

"I only have a few seconds," Elizabeth answered. "Creating a full link is a million times more difficult than creating a mental link. She's fading fast; she spent energy she didn't have."

Orihime's body stood up disjointedly, like a marionette doll. A pale blue light shone translucently from her pale skin.

"What're you doing?" Grimmjow demanded. Ichigo stood shell-shocked, staring at the scene in front of him.

"I'm keeping my promise," Elizabeth answered simply.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened. "There's no way… you would never…"

"Don't oversimplify me, Ben," she said softly. "I'm not who I was back then. I'm in control now. I know what I'm doing."

"You're going to kill yourself!"

"What's going on?" Grimmjow demanded. "She's already dead!"

Ulquiorra's face was grim. "She's in Soul Society. If she succeeds with this, her soul itself will be destroyed; end of the line."

"Then why the hell are you doing it?" Grimmjow demanded.

"Because she'll die if I don't!" Elizabeth yelled. The blue glow that covered Orihime's body concentrated itself in her right palm. Elizabeth bought Orihime's right thumb up to her mouth, biting it. Red beads of blood shone from the pad. The blood seemed to mix with the blue energy, turning it gold.

"We could find another way," Ulquiorra persisted, yet he made no move to restrain her. Between Orihime's life and Elizabeth's, it was clear which was more important to him.

"Shut up. There is no other way. She ran out of spirit energy, and used her very life force to fuel that last technique. There's a good chance she destroyed her soul chain. This is the only way." Without another word, she thrust the glowing hand into Orihime's chest, right where the soul chain was.

It was over in a second. The glow disappeared instantly, and the wound closed as if it had never been inflicted. If you had blinked, you'd have missed it for sure.

Orihime collapsed, lying perfectly still again. Deadly silence descended as all the Exequias fell to Halibel and Stark. With all enemies defeated, there was nothing to break the silence. Except, of course, Ichigo.

"What the hell just happened?" he screamed. He rushed towards Orihime's still form.

Without a word, Grimmjow extended his fist, sending Ichigo into a wall. "Leave her alone," he said in an icy voice. "This doesn't concern you."

Ichigo coughed from the impact before yelling," Of course it concerns me! Orihime is my friend, and I want to know what the hell is going on!"

Halibel silenced him with a glare so cold it could've frozen hell. "Shut up or I'll kill you myself," she threatened.

Ichigo, having seen Halibel fight the Exequias, and knew all to well that it wasn't an empty threat.

Orihime's eyes opened slowly, and she looked around in confusion. "B-but…" she stuttered," I died!"

Ulquiorra and Grimmjow breathed in relief.

"Trust me princess." Grimmjow said dryly," All of us have flirted with death before. You and Elizabeth just seem to do it more often."

Orihime's eyes widened. "Elizabeth! What happened to her? I felt her link, and then it disappeared."

Ulquiorra and Grimmjow averted their eyes.

"That promise meant everything to her, didn't it?" Grimmjow asked softly.

"Yeah," Ulquiorra answered. "It was her purpose after Elizabeth died. She was willing to give her life for it three times."

Orihime nearly choked. "What do you mean, three times?"

Ulquiorra met her eyes steadily. "You were right. You did die."

Grimmjow added," You screwed yourself over with that last technique. Apparently you didn't have the spirit energy for it and used your life force."

"Elizabeth used her own life force to replace yours," Ulquiorra finished.

Orihime felt tears slip down her cheek. They quickly turned to full-fledged sobs. "I was supposed to be strong enough to protect myself! No one was supposed to die for my sake!"

Ulquiorra wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her face in his chest. Just like old times.

Grimmjow almost gagged in disgust. Since when did pity parties change anything? "Oh suck it up, will you?" Grimmjow said irritably. Ulquiorra glared at him, but he didn't care. "You weren't strong enough to protect yourself this time. Well now you've got time to get stronger, so use it. In case you all forgot, we have a war coming up."

Orihime sniffled. He was right, and she knew that she should follow his advice. But it hurt so much, to gain new strength, then to have it not be enough. She had thought finding the truth was enough, but that was only the first step. Then you have to surge to surpass the obstacles. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. It was time to move forward.

Ulquiorra murmured in her ear," We have to get you home now."

She looked at him franticly. "What about you and Matt?"

"We can't stay here, obviously. We'll go to the real world and hide out for a while. But you'll see us again at the war."

"What side will you be on?" she asked softly.

Grimmjow snorted. "With our luck, the losing side. So it's your job to shape Soul Society up, got it?"

She smiled.

Ichigo coughed. No amount of therapy would make sense of this. Not that he could ever tell a therapist about this, but the point stood firm.

Orihime turned to face him. "Ichigo! I completely forgot you were here!"

Ichigo sweatdropped. "I noticed."

Ulquiorra acknowledged Ichigo. "Gather your friends. We're leaving in ten minutes whether you're here or not."

Ichigo growled. "Bastard!"

"Nine minutes and fifty seconds," Ulquiorra deadpanned.

Ichigo sighed, and flashed off to find his friends. He envied them for not having to witness what could only be described as the single most confusing event in his life.

Ulquiorra turned to Stark and Halibel. "What of you two?"

"If anyone asks, we were waiting in our rooms like good little Espada," Stark answered.

"And when the war rolls around?"

"Aizen is in for a surprise, isn't he?" Stark smirked.

Ulquiorra smiled ever so slightly in return. For once in the story, things were looking up.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N- Words can not describe how sorry I am for taking so long. I got engaged in a HUGE writing project, and that's taken priority for the past few weeks. I'll get the epilogue up as soon as I can, but expect it to take while. THANKS A BILLION TO ANYONE WHO READ THIS FAR!!!


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